Short-term: EPA has found barium to potentially cause the following health effects when people are exposed to it at levels above the MCL for relatively short periods of time: inflammation of the lungs when inhaled; less toxic in drinking water.

Long-term: Beryllium has the potential to cause the following effects from a lifetime exposure at levels above the MCL: damage to bones and lungs; cancer.

How much Beryllium is produced and released to the environment?

Production of beryllium metal was 490,000 lbs. in 1986. It is released principally in the smoke stacks and ash wastes of power plants which burn coal. It is also found in discharges from other industrial and municipal operations. Rocket exhaust products also consist of various beryllium compounds.

From 1987 to 1993, according to the Toxics Release Inventory beryllium releases to land and water totaled over 340,000 lbs. These releases were primarily from copper rolling and drawing industries which use it as a hardener in alloys. The largest releases occurred in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

What happens to Beryllium when it is released to the environment?

Very little is known about what happens to beryllium compounds when released to the environment. It appears unlikely to leach to ground water when released to land. Erosion or runoff of beryllium compounds into surface waters is not likely to be in a soluble form.

How will Beryllium be detected in and removed from my drinking water?

The regulation for beryllium became effective in 1994. Between 1993 and 1995, EPA required your water supplier to collect water samples once and analyze them to find out if beryllium is present above 4 ppb. If it is present above this level, the system must continue to monitor this contaminant every 3 months.

If contaminant levels are found to be consistently above the MCL, your water supplier must take steps to reduce the amount of beryllium so that it is consistently below that level. The following treatment methods have been approved by EPA for removing beryllium: Activated Alumina, Coagulation/filtration, Ion Exchange, Lime Softening, Reverse Osmosis.

How will I know if Beryllium is in my drinking water?

If the levels of beryllium exceed the MCL, the system must notify the public via newspapers, radio, TV and other means. Additional actions, such as providing alternative drinking water supplies, may be required to prevent serious risks to public health.

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).

Drinking Water Standards:

MCLG: 4 ppb

MCL: 4 ppb

Beryllium Releases to Water and Land, 1987 to 1993 (in pounds):

Water Land

TOTALS 1,314 341,721

Top Five States

PA 653 174,250

OH 490 166,292

MI 5 1,000

TX 0 174

MN 142 0

Major Industries

Copper rolling, drawing 405 180,502

Nonferrous metal smelting 481 151,790

Nonferrous rolling, drawing 4 8,000

Aluminum foundries 5 1,000

Blast furnaces, steelworks 250 250

Petroleum refining 142 174

Learn more about your drinking water!

EPA strongly encourages people to learn more about their drinking water, and to support local efforts to protect and upgrade the supply of safe drinking water. Your water bill or telephone books government listings are a good starting point.

Your local water supplier can give you a list of the chemicals they test for in your water, as well as how your water is treated.

Your state Department of Health/Environment is also a valuable source of information.

For help in locating these agencies or for information on drinking water in general, call: EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline: (800) 426-4791.

For additional information on the uses and releases of chemicals in your state, contact the: Community Right-to-Know Hotline: (800) 424-9346.

Domestic Production and Use: One company in Utah mined bertrandite ore and recovered beryllium hydroxide from

this ore and from imported and domestic beryl. Beryllium hydroxide was shipped to a plant in Ohio, where it was

converted into beryllium metal, alloys, and oxide. Another company in Pennsylvania purchased beryllium oxide from

Asia and converted this material into beryllium alloys. Small quantities of beryl were recovered as a byproduct of U.S.

pegmatite mining operations in various States. Beryllium consumption of 200 tons was valued at approximately $71

million, based on the producer price for beryllium-copper master alloy. Beryllium was used as an alloy and oxide in

electronic components, 57%; as an alloy and oxide in electrical components, 20%; as an alloy, oxide, and metal in

aerospace and defense applications, 13%; and as an alloy, metal, and oxide in other applications, 10%.

Salient Statistics—United States: 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995e

Production, mine 174 193 198 173 225

Imports for consumption, ore and metal 55 6 8 53 30

Exports, metal 33 41 20 29 55

Shipments from Government stockpile excesses1 — 215 231 2(2) 2(19)

Consumption, apparent 203 159 183 198 200

Price, dollars:

Domestic, metal, vacuum-cast ingot, per pound 308 308 308 275 275

Domestic, metal, powder blend, per pound 280 280 295 295 295

Domestic, beryllium-copper master alloy,

per pound of contained beryllium 160 160 160 160 160

Domestic, beryllium oxide, powder, per pound 72.50 72.50 72.50 72.50 70.50

Imported ore, per stu (20 pounds) BeO 113 NA NA NA NA

Stocks, consumer, yearend 112 111 114 113 113

Employment:

Mine, full-time equivalent employeese 25 25 25 25 25

Primary refineriese 400 400 400 400 400

Net import reliance3 as a percent of

apparent consumption 14 E E 13 E

Recycling: Substantial quantities of new scrap generated in the processing of beryllium-copper alloys were recycled.

Small quantities of obsolete military equipment containing metallic beryllium were recycled.

Import Sources (1991-94): Ore, metal, scrap, and master alloy: Russia, 30%; Germany, 21%; China, 11%; Brazil,

11%; and other, 27%.

Tariff: Item Number Most favored nation (MFN) Non-MFN4

12/31/95 12/31/95

Ore and concentrates 2617.90.0030 Free Free.

Unwrought beryllium 8112.11.6000 8.5% ad val. 25.0% ad val.

Beryllium, wrought 8112.19.0000 5.5% ad val. 45.0% ad val.

Beryllium-copper master alloy 7405.00.6030 6.0% ad val. 28.0% ad val.

Beryllium oxide or hydroxide 2825.90.1000 3.7% ad val. 25.0% ad val.

Depletion Allowance: 22% (Domestic), 14% (Foreign).

Government Stockpile:

Stockpile Status—9-30-95

Uncommitted Committed Authorized Disposals