Speciation analysis and fractionation of manganese: A review

Manganese as an essential element is required by organisms from simple bacteria to plants, animals and human beings. The identification and determination of organic or inorganic manganese forms are important from many viewpoints, such as their bioavailability or bioactivity. A review of the use of different analytical methods, which allow manganese speciation and fractionation in various types of matrices, such as soils, sediments, air, aerosols, water, plants, animals and polluted environmental samples, is presented in this study. The presented approaches assume mainly the use of indirect techniques from simple ones, such as extraction, through multistep procedures to more complex ones, such as hyphenated techniques. Direct analysis of manganese species is also possible, but unfortunately only in some cases and for selected samples. Significance of manganese speciation and fractionation in different areas of life and difficulties in performing such analysis pose a challenge.