By: Jacqueline Ammah

Beryllium is valued for its strength, elasticity, lightness, and excellent thermal conductivity. Primarily used as an alloy, about a quarter of world production is in pure form; the rest is processed to form salts and oxides. Recognized as toxic in the early 1900s, with the discovery of pulmonary berylliosis, beryllium has since been associated with the development of other serious debilitating diseases. Today, thousands of workers risk inhaling beryllium dusts and fumes everyday as it is now used in many products, contrary to the 1940′s when use was confined to defense applications. Moreover, the families of workers risk carry-home exposures. Only recently has the nature of the risk has been widely recognized.

Typical Industries Where Workers Risk High Exposure:

• Beryllium extraction (ore and scrap metal) and alloy manufacturing plants
• Metal working (pure beryllium, copper/aluminum alloys, jet brake pads, aerospace, space optics, missile fuel and structural components of space vehicles)
• Ceramic manufacturing facilities (semi-conductor chips, ignition modules, crucibles, jet engine blades, rocket covers)
• Computers/electronics plants including recycling (transistors, heat sinks, x-ray windows since it is highly permeable to x-rays)
• Atomic energy plants (heat shields, nuclear reactors – due to the low neutron absorption, nuclear weapons)
• Developmental labs (metallurgy, chemistry) and dental labs (crowns, bridges or dental plates containing nickel/beryllium alloys instead of expensive precious metals expose dental workers to dust and fumes during grinding or polishing activities)
• Sporting goods manufacturing plants (golf clubs, bicycle frames)
• Automotive manufacturing plants

Health Effects: A 1991 study of U.S. beryllium workers found the highest mortality for those with beryllium-related pneumonitis and lung cancer, and the lowest, yet significant mortality rate was found for those with berylliosis. With a short half-life in most tissues except the lungs where removal is slow, beryllium can cause:

• Lung Cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (1993) found evidence for carcinogenicity.
• Chronic beryllium disease (CBD). Berylliosis causes shortness of breath, in severe cases, clubbing of fingers and cyanosis (bluish skin due to lack of oxygen). X-rays show lung blotches, streaks and lesions that may develop into fibroses, decreasing lung volume and giving symptoms similar to asbestosis and silicosis.
• Beryllium sensitization. CBD develops in workers who are sensitized, i.e., develop an allergic reaction to beryllium during job exposure, or after leaving a job.
• Acute chemical pneumonitis, a fulminating inflammatory reaction of the entire respiratory tract. Symptoms, with severity increasing with dose, occur soon after exposure to soluble beryllium aerosols like fluorides used in ore extraction. Although occasionally fatal, most workers recover within weeks.

*Substances classified as A1 are proven human carcinogens (IARC, 1993). OSHA recently suggested that the current permissible exposure limit (PEL) might not protect against CBD.