Manganese is also used in portland cement mixtures. Manganese is an important element for human health, essential for development, metabolism, and the antioxidant system. Nevertheless, excessive exposure or intake may lead to a condition known as manganism, a neurodegenerative disorder that causes dopaminergic neuronal death and symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. The classes of enzymes that have manganese cofactors is large and includes oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, lyases, isomerases, ligases, lectins, and integrins. The reverse transcriptases of many retroviruses (though not lentiviruses such as HIV) contain manganese. The best-known manganese-containing polypeptides may be arginase, the diphtheria toxin, and Mn-containing superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD).
Manganese(II) carbonate Manganese(II) carbonate Manganese carbonate is a compound with the chemical formula MnCO. Manganese carbonate occurs naturally as the mineral rhodochrosite but it is typically produced industrially. It is a pale pink, water-insoluble solid. Approximately 20,000 metric tonnes were produced in 2005. MnCO adopts a structure like calcite, consisting of manganese(II) ions in an octahedral coordination geometry. Treatment of aqueous solutions of manganese(II) nitrate with ammonia and carbon dioxide leads to precipitation of this faintly pink solid. The side product, ammonium nitrate is used as fertilizer. The carbonate is insoluble in water but, like most carbonates, hydrolyses upon treatment with acids