Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) in petrol: the toxicological issues

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT), when used as an octane improver in petrol, leads to increased airborne levels of manganese in the form of Mn3O4. The potential health effects of increased airborne manganese are considered in this paper. Manganese, unlike lead which it can replace in petrol, is a normal and essential component of the human diet and the intake from airborne manganese is slight by comparison to the normal dietary intake. The major toxicological effects of manganese, observed after long occupational exposure, are on the lung (manganese pneumonia) and the central nervous system (manganism). The small increase in airborne manganese from the use of MMT in petrol is 3-4 orders of magnitude lower than the level required to produce toxic symptoms of manganese exposure, even in areas of high traffic density, and no health risk from the use of MMT is likely.