Manganese and its compounds: Information sheet
Publications summarized:
On this page
Overview
- The Government of Canada conducts risk assessments of substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) to determine whether they present or may present a risk to human health or to the environment.
- The risks posed by a substance are determined by both its hazardous properties (potential to cause adverse human health or ecological effects) and the amount or extent that people or the environment are exposed.
- When needed, the Government applies risk management instruments under CEPA and other federal acts to help prevent or reduce potential harm.
- The Government is proposing that manganese and its compounds may be harmful to human health. This is due to potential effects on the nervous system from exposure through drinking water, outdoor air near certain industrial facilities, and certain products available to consumers.
- The Government is also proposing that manganese and its compounds may be harmful to the environment due to potential risk to aquatic organisms from manganese releases to water from a small number of metal ore mining facilities.
- Risk management actions are proposed to help reduce exposures of people in Canada and the environment to these substances.
About these substances
- This group is referred to collectively as manganese and its compounds under the third phase of the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP). It includes but is not limited to, 8 substances on the Domestic Substances List and 3 substances identified from the Revised In Commerce List identified as priorities for assessment.
- The assessment focuses on the manganese moiety (referred to as manganese for simplicity). “Moiety” refers to the part of a molecule that is expected to have toxicological significance. The assessment therefore considers manganese in its elemental form, manganese compounds, and manganese released in dissolved, solid, or particulate form.
- Details on the substance names and Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Numbers (CAS RNs) are found in the summary of publications section of the manganese and its compounds web page.
- Manganese is naturally occurring and abundant in the environment. It is a constituent in many minerals and is found in the earth’s crust, as well as in coal and crude oil.
- Manganese can enter the environment from natural sources such as weathering of rock, ocean spray, forest fires, vegetation, and volcanoes.
- According to information gathered by the Government, manganese is mainly used in Canada as an additive and a component in alloys for steel production. It is also used in alloys with other metals. Other uses of manganese include: adhesives and sealants, animal feed, non-pesticidal agricultural products, automotive, aircraft and transportation manufacturing and uses, batteries, building and construction materials, catalysts, cleaning and furnishing care (for example, cleaning products and odour control products), electronics, food additives, food packaging and other food uses, fuels and related products (for example, fuel additives), in the chemical industry, lubricants and greases, medical devices, metal materials, paints and coatings, pest control products, self-care products (that is, cosmetics, natural health products and non-prescription drugs), textiles, children’s toys, playground and sporting equipment, and water treatment.
Human and ecological exposures
- The assessment considers the combined exposure of humans and other living organisms to manganese from natural or human-made sources, whether it is present in water, sediment, soil, air, food, or products available to consumers.
- The main source of exposure of people in Canada to manganese is from food followed by drinking water.
- People in Canada may also be exposed to manganese from environmental sources (for example, soil, dust and air) and from inhaling, absorbing through skin or ingesting the substances while using products available to consumers, such as automotive products, household products, textiles, children’s paint products, paint products, and self-care products (for example, cosmetics and natural health products).
- Manganese is also released to the Canadian environment from a variety of industrial sectors, with metal ore mining, pulp and paper, and wastewater facilities releasing the highest quantities.
Key health and ecological effects (hazard)
- To help inform the health effects characterization for manganese and its compounds, national and international reports were reviewed, among other sources of information. This included existing reviews by Health Canada, such as the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines and the Human Health Risk Assessment for Inhaled Manganese.
- Although manganese is an essential nutrient for human health, higher intake may result in adverse health effects. Effects on the nervous system, especially during development, were considered to be the critical effects for the characterization of risk to human health in the assessment.
- Manganese is also an essential element for other organisms but may be harmful at higher concentrations in the environment. This includes effects on survival, growth and reproduction in freshwater organisms and soil-dwelling organisms at moderate to high concentrations.
- The ecological effects characterization for manganese was in part based on long-term Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for manganese. Where possible, it took into account factors that affect toxicity to aquatic organisms, including water hardness and pH.
Consideration of subpopulations who may have greater susceptibility or greater exposure
- There are groups of individuals within the Canadian population who, due to greater susceptibility or greater exposure, may be more vulnerable to experiencing adverse health effects from exposure to substances.
- Certain subpopulations are routinely considered throughout the assessment process, such as infants, children, and people of reproductive age. For instance, age-specific exposures are routinely estimated, and developmental and reproductive toxicity studies are evaluated for potential adverse health effects. For manganese and its compounds, these subpopulations were taken into account in the risk assessment outcomes.
- In addition, the potential for elevated exposure was examined for:
- certain First Nations communities, from drinking water and
- people living near industrial sources of release, from air.
Risk assessment outcomes
- Assessments focus on information critical to determining whether substances are harmful to human health or the environment under CEPA. This is done by considering scientific information, including information, if available, on subpopulations who may have greater susceptibility or greater exposure, vulnerable environments and cumulative effects and by incorporating a weight of evidence approach and precaution . The potential for cumulative effects was considered in the assessment by examining cumulative exposures from the broader manganese moiety.
- Based upon a comparison of levels to which people in Canada may be exposed to manganese and levels associated with critical health effects, it was determined that the following exposures may pose a risk to human health:
- Consuming drinking water in certain areas of several provinces, territories and First Nations communities.
- Exposure through mouth (oral) and skin (dermal) to some products available to consumers including some children’s paint products, paint products, and self-care products (cosmetics and natural health products).
- Breathing in air (inhalation) during or after use of some products available to consumers including aerosol spray paint, paint applied using an airless sprayer and loose face powders.
- Breathing in air near facilities of certain industrial sectors including: metal ore mining (including iron ore pelletizing); iron and steel mills and ferro-alloy manufacturing; agricultural, construction and mining machinery manufacturing; motor vehicle parts manufacturing; and steel product manufacturing from purchased steel.
- Based upon the information presented in the assessment, it was determined that there is a potential for harm to the aquatic environment from manganese releases to water from a small number of metal ore mining facilities across Canada.
Proposed assessment conclusions
- The Government is proposing that manganese and its compounds may be harmful to human health at levels of exposure considered in the assessment.
- The Government is also proposing that manganese and its compounds are entering the environment at levels that may be harmful to the environment.
- Also, manganese and its compounds are proposed to meet the persistence, but not the bioaccumulation criteria, as set out in the Persistence and Bioaccumulation Regulations of CEPA.
Preventive actions and risk reduction
- If the proposed conclusion is confirmed in the final assessment, the Government will consider proposing to add manganese and its compounds to Part 2 of Schedule 1 to CEPA. Adding a substance to Schedule 1 does not, in itself, restrict its use, manufacture or import. Rather, it enables the Government to take enforceable risk management actions under CEPA enables the Government to take enforceable risk management actions under CEPA.
- Toxic substances that pose the highest risk (that is, meet certain criteria) are added to Part 1 of Schedule 1. These are prioritized for total, partial or conditional prohibition.
- Other toxic substances are added to Part 2 of Schedule 1 and are prioritized for pollution prevention, which may include prohibition.
- Regulations specifying criteria for the classification of substances that pose the highest risk or that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction may be developed. When criteria are available, some substances considered for addition to Part 2 of Schedule 1 will instead be considered for addition to Part 1 of Schedule 1.
- Publication of the risk management scope aims to inform interested parties of proposed risk management options and initiate discussions about their development.
- To address human health concerns, the Government is considering the following actions:
- Paint products: Regulatory or non-regulatory actions to help reduce dermal and/or inhalation exposures to manganese and its compounds from paint products containing these substances to levels that are protective of human health.
- Children’s paint products: Regulatory or non-regulatory actions to help reduce oral exposure to manganese and its compounds from certain paint products intended for use by children to levels that are protective of human health.
- Releases to air: The Government is considering measures to reduce human-caused releases of manganese and its compounds to air from several identified industrial sectors to address human health concerns to people living near certain facilities. The specific facilities are within these sectors:
- metal ore mining sector (including iron ore pelletizing)
- iron and steel mills and ferro-alloy manufacturing sector
- agricultural, construction and mining machinery manufacturing sector
- motor vehicle parts manufacturing sector
- steel product manufacturing from purchased steel sector
- For releases to air, proposed measures include regulatory measures such as regulations and pollution prevention planning notices, or non-regulatory measures such as environmental release guidelines, codes of practice, or environmental performance agreements, to minimize the release of manganese and its compounds to air from the industrial use of these substances.
- Cosmetics: Listing manganese and its compounds as prohibited or restricted ingredients on Health Canada’s Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist to help reduce oral, dermal, and/or inhalation exposures to manganese and its compounds from certain cosmetics. The Hotlist is used to communicate that certain substances may not comply with requirements of the Food and Drugs Act or provisions of the Cosmetic Regulations. Under Canadian legislation, cosmetics that contain substances that are harmful to the user cannot be sold.
- Natural health products Modifying the existing entries for manganese and its compounds in the Natural Health Products Ingredients Database to help reduce oral exposure to manganese and its compounds from certain natural health products. Actions may aim to lower the quantity or concentration of these substances when used as medicinal or non-medicinal ingredients in certain natural health products to levels that are protective of human health. In addition, reviewing the maximum daily dose allowed for manganese under the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate's Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplements monograph to help reduce oral exposure to manganese and its compounds from multi-vitamin/mineral supplements.
- Drinking water: Health Canada has already worked with the provinces and territories through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water to develop a maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) for manganese in drinking water of 0.12 mg/L, which is designed to protect people in Canada, including the most vulnerable members of society. The guideline technical document for manganese is available. Health Canada also published a Water Talk web page about manganese in drinking water to inform the public about the drinking water guideline, potential health concerns from elevated exposure to manganese in drinking water, and what people can do if they are concerned.
- Although a risk to human health from foods and infant formula was not identified in the draft assessment, the Food and Nutrition Directorate of Health Canada will collaborate with other government departments and industry on appropriate science initiatives as needed. For example, as part of its planned modernization of the infant formula regulations in Division 25 of the Food and Drugs Regulations, the Food and Nutrition Directorate will evaluate adding a maximum level of manganese in infant formulas that aligns with other international jurisdictions. The Directorate will also evaluate updating its guidance on the preparation and handling of infant formula to advise families living in areas with high drinking water manganese to use an alternate water source for preparing formula.
- To address ecological concerns, the Government is considering the following actions:
- Metal ore mining sector: Reducing human-caused releases of manganese and its compounds to water by reviewing information received from regulated mines in response to environmental effects monitoring requirements under the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations (MDMER), to determine if additional regulatory or non-regulatory risk management is required. For mining facilities not covered by the MDMER, by continuing to promote the application of the existing Environmental Code of Practice for Metal Mines for every stage of a mine’s life cycle.
- Information is being sought by the Government to inform risk management decision-making. Details can be found in the risk management scope, including where to send information during the public comment period ending December 24, 2025.
- Risk management options may evolve through consideration of assessments and risk management options or actions published for other substances. This is to ensure effective, coordinated, and consistent risk management decision-making.
- The Government is also conducting assessments on a variety of metals that may identify similar or additional sectors as sources of risk. The Government is considering the risk management options for manganese and its compounds as part of a more comprehensive strategy to manage the metals concluded as toxic under CEPA. This strategy would focus on effluents, rather than single metals.
Where to find updates on risk management actions
Related resources
- Manganese and its compounds are found in products available to consumers. People in Canada should follow any safety warnings and directions related to the product and dispose of products responsibly.
- Visit Healthy home for information on chemical safety in and around the home, including on manganese and its compounds (for consumers).
- Cosmetics must include a list of all ingredients on the product label using the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) system. Manganese (CAS RN 7439-96-5) and manganese-containing compounds, manganese aspartate (CAS RN 16351-10-3), manganese chloride (CAS RN 7773-01-5), manganese gluconate (CAS RN 6485-39-8), manganese oxide (CAS RN 1313-13-6/ 1344-43-0), manganese PCA (CAS RN 369630-79-5), manganese sulfate (CAS RN 10034-06-5), manganese violet (CAS RN 10101-66-3) and ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol manganese chloride (CAS RN 81065-76-1) are all INCI names for manganese and its compounds reported as ingredients in cosmetics in Canada. Natural health products must also include a list of all ingredients on their product labels.
- Assessments conducted under CEPA focus on risks of exposure of the general population, including populations who may be disproportionately impacted. Hazards related to chemicals used in the workplace are defined within the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS). The Government of Canada recognizes that it is the responsibility of the federal, provincial and territorial occupational health and safety organizations to coordinate legislation for the safe use of chemicals in the workplace. We are working to support this role by integrating the information, tools, and/or technical expertise of the CMP and Health Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Products Program.
