National Primary Drinking Water Regulations

This is a factsheet about a chemical that may be found in some public or private drinking water supplies. It may cause health problems if found in amounts greater than the health standard set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What is Beryllium and how is it used?

I'll take the money line.

Beryllium (+141) $5000


Oh wait.

Just make the check out to "cash"

Beryllium, as has been discussed has had a very controversial history as to it toxic potential, in the beginning to its present day controversy as to its carcinogenic potential. Beryllium is a very valuable material to various industries and it over regulation may in fact be unfair to its use and benefactors. But in the same breath, is it not better to be somewhat conservative when it comes to the lives and health of hard working employees and as in the case of the Lorain incident, the innocent by stander? It seems apparent the the government and the other regulatory agency are being very cautious in coming to a conclusion as to beryllium's carcinogenic potential after their previous mistake, the Fairhall Report which proved to be a major mistake in the assessment of beryllium and the relation to the pulmonary disease. All in all, with the proper regulation and precaution, beryllium has continued to be a huge part of various industries with little to no cases of ill effects to its workers that are careful and respectful of beryllium and its hazardous potentials. The next hurdle for beryllium is it classification as a carcinogen or not. Let's hope the correct research is being done in a timely fashion so as to not end up repeating history. Although, it has been said that history tends to repeat itself.

Works Cited

1. Flora, S.J.S., Seema Mathur, R. Mathur., Effects of meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccini

c acid or 2,3-dimercaptopropane 1 sulfonate on beryllium-induced

biochemical alterations and mental concentration in male rats., Toxicology

95(1995) pages 167-175).

2. Hall, Stephen K., Chakraborty, Joana.

Exposure and Toxic Responses., CRC Lewis Publishers., Boca Raton, New

York, London, Tokyo., 1997.

3. Klaassen, Curtis D., Amdur, Mary O., Doull, John., Casarett and Doull's