Manganese produce a parkinsonism-like illness characterized by movement abnormalities. This condition is not responsive to typical therapies used in the treatment of PD, suggesting an alternative pathway than the typical dopaminergic loss within the substantia nigra. Manganese may accumulate in the basal ganglia, leading to the abnormal movements. A mutation of the SLC30A10 gene, a manganese efflux transporter necessary for decreasing intracellular Mn, has been linked with the development of this Parkinsonism-like disease. The Lewy bodies typical to PD are not seen in Mn-induced parkinsonism. Animal experiments have given the opportunity to examine the consequences of manganese overexposure under controlled conditions.
Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl combustion in gasoline, MMT is classified as an acute toxicant by the oral, dermal, and inhalation routes of exposure under the European Union's Classification, Labeling and Packaging Regulation (EC/1272/2008), implementing the Global Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling. The US ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) notes that MMT is very unstable in light and degrades to a mixture of less harmful substances and inorganic manganese in less than 2 minutes. Therefore, human exposure to MMT prior to combustion in gasoline would not likely occur at significant levels. Regarding occupational exposure to the raw concentrated chemical prior