Dust Almanac

Mansonia

Mansonia altissima · Malvaceae · hardwood

Also known as: bete, mansonia walnut

Region: West Africa

Planed board of mansonia with greyish to purplish-brown heartwood and a pale sapwood strip along one edge.

A fine-textured West African hardwood with greyish-brown to purplish-brown heartwood, often used as a walnut substitute. Used for cabinet making, furniture, turnery, and sports goods.

Health hazards

  • Heart effects

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE lists heart disorders among reported effects of mansonia. Laboratory studies found that water extracts of the wood were toxic to the heart in animals, and bark extracts block the same enzyme as the heart drug ouabain.123

    Effects
    heart disorders
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    From
    dust

  • Skin allergy

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE lists mansonia as a skin sensitiser and irritant.1

    Effects
    skin sensitization, skin irritation
    Exposure route
    skin
    From
    dust

  • Respiratory irritation

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE lists respiratory disorders and nose bleeds from mansonia dust, and an older Italian report describes several cases of nasal disease in exposed workers.14

    Effects
    respiratory disorders, rhinitis, nose bleeds
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    From
    dust

  • Whole-body (systemic) effects

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE also lists headache among reported effects of working mansonia.1

    Effects
    headache
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    From
    dust

  • Splinter infection

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE names mansonia as one of the woods whose splinter wounds heal slowly and often turn septic.1

    Effects
    septic splinters
    Exposure route
    splinter

  • Cancer

    Evidence: Applies to all wood dust

    IARC classifies all wood dust as carcinogenic to humans, chiefly through cancers of the nose and sinuses. This applies to mansonia dust as it does to any other wood.5

    Effects
    nasal and sinus cancer
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    From
    dust

Not finding a hazard listed here does not mean this wood is safe. All wood dust is hazardous; see how to protect yourself.

Exposure limits

Workplace exposure limits (8-hour average, mg/m³)
BodyLimitNotes
ACGIH TLV1 mg/m³ (inhalable) source
EU binding limit (hardwood)2 mg/m³Applies to all hardwood dust
UK WEL (hardwood)3 mg/m³Applies to all hardwood dust
NIOSH REL1 mg/m³Recommended limit for all wood dust

Compare limits across agencies.

Cancer classifications

Known compounds

  • mansonones (sesquiterpene quinones): quinone compounds isolated from the wood source

Sources

  1. Health and Safety Executive. Toxic woods. Woodworking Information Sheet No 30 (Revision 1), WIS30(rev1). HSE; first published 11/2012. Withdrawn from hse.gov.uk (404 since c. Jan 2020); archived copy cited. Link
  2. Beretta C, Faustini R, Gallina G, Perini A. Cardiotoxic effects of an aqueous extract from Mansonia altissima wood. Eur J Toxicol. 1970;3(6):355-362. Link
  3. Guede FG, Attias J. [Inhibition of microsomal Na+ K+ ATPase of the brain by extracts of Mansonia altissima]. C R Acad Hebd Seances Acad Sci D. 1977;284(21):2159-2162. (French) Link
  4. Noferi A, Ferrante E. [On some cases of rhinopathy caused by Mansonia walnut wood dust (Mansonia altissima)]. Folia Allergol (Roma). 1966;13(4):304-307. (Italian) Link
  5. IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Wood Dust and Formaldehyde. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Vol. 62. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 1995. Link
  6. US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Occupational Chemical Database: Wood Dust. Last updated 06/23/2023. Link
  7. Marini-Bettolo GB et al. On sesquiterpenoid quinones of Mansonia altissima Chev. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 1966;2(2):327-341. Link

Last reviewed .