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Toxicological Chemistry of Chemical Substances
Published in Stanley E. Manahan, Environmental Chemistry, 2022
Although not truly a heavy metal, beryllium (atomic mass 9.01) is one of the more hazardous toxic elements. Its most serious toxic effect is berylliosis, a condition manifested by lung fibrosis and pneumonitis, which may develop after a latency period of 5–20 years.1 Beryllium is a hypersensitizing agent, and exposure to it causes skin granulomas and ulcerated skin. Beryllium was used in the nuclear weapons program in the United States, and it is believed that 500 to 1,000 cases of beryllium poisoning have occurred or will occur in the future as a result of exposure to workers. In July 1999, the US Department of Energy acknowledged these cases of beryllium poisoning and proposed legislation to compensate the victims. This resulted in the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program of 2000, under which qualified workers with beryllium disease could receive a lump sum payment of $150,000 as reimbursement for disability and medical care resulting from the disease.
Toxicology
Published in W. David Yates, Safety Professional’s Reference and Study Guide, 2020
Berylliosis is a lung disease resulting from the inhalation of beryllium. All compounds of beryllium should be considered potentially harmful, if inhaled, even in minute quantities. The current OSHA PEL for beryllium exposure is 0.2 µg/m3 (8-h TWA). It has a short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 2.0 µg/m3 not to be exceeded for more than 15 min. Beryllium is used in lightweight metals, especially in valves in the aeronautical and space industries. Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) may occur among people who are exposed to the dust or fumes from beryllium metal, metal oxides, alloys, ceramics, or salts. It occurs when people inhale beryllium in these forms. CBD usually has a very slow onset, and even very small amounts of exposure to beryllium can cause the disease in some people. Acute beryllium disease usually has a quick onset and has symptoms that resemble those of pneumonia or bronchitis. The acute form of the disease is believed to occur as a result of exposures well above the current PEL. This form of beryllium disease is now rare.
List of Chemical Substances
Published in T.S.S. Dikshith, and Safety, 2016
Beryllium can be very harmful when humans breathe it in, because it can damage the lungs and cause pneumonia. The most commonly known effect of beryllium is called berylliosis, a dangerous and persistent lung disorder that can also damage other organs, such as the heart. In about 20% of all cases, people die of this disease. Breathing in beryllium in the workplace causes berylliosis. People that have weakened immune systems are most susceptible to this disease. Beryllium can also cause allergic reactions with people that are hypersensitive to this chemical and cause chronic beryllium disease (CBD). The symptoms are weakness, tiredness, and breathing problems. Some people that suffer from CBD will develop anorexia and blueness of hands and feet. Sometimes, people can even be in such a serious condition that CBD can cause their death. Next to causing berylliosis and CBD, beryllium can also increase the chances of developing cancer and DNA damage. Chronic beryllium disease is a pulmonary and systemic granulomatous disease caused by inhalation of beryllium. The latency of the disease can be from 1 to 30 years, most commonly occurring 10-15 years after first exposure. From the reported use pattern of beryllium, it can be deduced that toxicologically relevant exposure to beryllium is largely confined to the workplace. Only a few exposure situations have been reported for the general population.
Estimating correlations with censored data
Published in Quality Engineering, 2020
Brian P. Weaver, Kimberly Kaufeld, Richard Warr
Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD) or Berylliosis is caused by the inhalation of Beryllium (Be) dusts or vapors that may be present in many industrial settings. CBD may be either acute or chronic. Acute Berylliosis has a swift onset of symptoms that are similar to tuberculosis, such as inflammation of the lungs, coughing, and breathlessness Sizar and Talati (2018). To protect workers from high levels of exposure, industrial hygienists (IH) are tasked with ensuring that workers are able to perform their work safely. For example, when an old building is re-purposed for office space, IH professionals collect information about the area and determine if it is safe or not for humans to occupy. If a room is known to be contaminated with Be, anyone performing work in the room must be a “certified Be worker” which entails taking specific training, wearing protective clothing, and taking great care to dispose of waste properly. The current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines state that the permissible exposure limit to Be is 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over 8 hours or short term exposure of 2.0 micrograms per cubic meter of air over a 15 minute sampling period. Our application focuses on measurements of Beryllium (Be).
Overview of biological mechanisms of human carcinogens
Published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 2019
Nicholas Birkett, Mustafa Al-Zoughool, Michael Bird, Robert A. Baan, Jan Zielinski, Daniel Krewski
There is little evidence for direct genotoxicity of beryllium, although down-regulation of genes involved in DNA synthesis and DNA repair was observed. The mechanisms associated with the carcinogenicity of beryllium have not been extensively studied. Beryllium is known to produce a chronic allergic-type lung response and disease called berylliosis. The inflammatory response to this condition leads to enhanced cell proliferation, oxidative stress and altered cell-signaling pathways. Studies in mice showed formation of reactive oxygen species with marked increases in apoptosis and activation of caspase 8.