Our opinion: Study important for area’s peace of mind

What we know is that manganese is in the air. What we don't know is what impact that exposure has had on residents of this community over an extended period of time.

That will change, we hope, with a study planned to answer just that question. We urge local residents to participate.

The money for the study is coming from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and testing will take place Aug. 16 to 19. It's being touted as the first study of low-dose manganese exposure over a long period of time and the first comprehensive study of adults exposed to manganese in the air.

Letters have gone out to 350 local residents. If you get one, we hope you'll consider taking part in the study. The information gleaned will help the residents of this community but also in others.

The testing is significant - blood work, interviews and questionnaires and neurological testing. But it's worth spending the time to find out what the effects of airborne manganese is on our population. An initial report will be available next year with a final analysis a year later.

We're glad to see this study finally come to fruition. It will either provide some much-needed peace of mind, or show just how risky the managanese exposure can be. Either way, it's information we need as a community.

n To find out more about the study: Dr. Rosemarie Bowler at (510) 236-5599 or ohstudy@sfsu.edu.