In 1949, the Department of Energy set 2 micrograms per cubic meter as the maximum average of beryllium that workers can be exposed to during a workday, a regulation that was adopted as an industry standard by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety

Despite these safeguards, hundreds of workers have been diagnosed with CBD, and new cases are reported every year.

"I question if industrial-hygiene practice is adequate," said Mark Hoover, a senior research physical scientist at NIOSH who has been studying beryllium's effects for more than 20 years. Hoover said the DOE lowered the allowable amount of beryllium exposure in its facilities to 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998, and the private sector should follow its lead. "(Exposure) should be lowered to the smallest amount achievable."

According to the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, between 2 and 6 percent of people exposed to beryllium will develop an allergic reaction known as beryllium sensitivity. The center's website states that sensitivity to beryllium appears to be genetically based, so while some workers may become ill, others will be unaffected.

Hoover said the most common method of detecting beryllium sensitivity is through the beryllium blood lymphocyte proliferation test, or BeLPT, which analyzes a blood sample to see its reaction to beryllium. The BeLPT is not commonly available at medical facilities, so blood samples are frequently shipped to laboratories such as the National Jewish Medical and Research Center or Biophage.

Rosemonde Mandeville, president of Biophage, said the test costs approximately $150 and results are available within a week. Mandeville said Biophage's primary clients are companies that offer the screening for their employees. "The first thing (for workers) to do is get tested once every 18 months," Mandeville said. Anyone who works where beryllium dust or vapors are present -- including office and janitorial workers -- is at risk for the disease.

If a worker tests positive, Mandeville said some companies will move workers to areas free of beryllium. Mandeville said workers who develop symptoms are frequently given prednisone, an anti-inflammatory steroid, to counteract coughing and breathing difficulties.

But beryllium-processing company Brush Wellman does not recommend or use blood tests to screen new workers at its plants. The "use of the BeLPT for medical screening is not recommended," stated a company representative, responding by fax to questions posed by Wired News. The company said the test "is highly variable and unreliable," citing U.S. military studies recommending that the blood test be used only after individuals develop symptoms of the disease.

Brush Wellman said workers might not want to be screened because a positive test has negative side effects. Workers who test positive have "perceived decreased health and reduction in work/employment options with potentially adverse social and economic consequences." The company does not reassign workers who test positive to prevent further exposure to beryllium because "There are no studies that suggest that individuals who have tested positive for beryllium sensitization are impacted by additional workplace exposure."

While the Department of Energy offers free screenings for any employee or contractor who worked at its facilities that processed beryllium, workers in the private sector may have to fend for themselves. A class-action lawsuit against Brush Wellman requests that the company pay for the blood tests for up to 7,000 contractors who worked at the company's Elmore, Ohio, facility from 1953 to 1999.

Attorney Andrew Lipton, who represents the plaintiffs -- who include iron workers, construction workers and pipe fitters -- said, "The workers had no idea of their risk." He added they are seeking free screening and medical monitoring. Lipton said the complaint does not ask for punitive damages; the workers only want to know if they have developed sensitivity to beryllium that could affect them later on.

The workers' original claim was denied and is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Thus far, 135 workers' compensation claims have been paid to people who contracted beryllium-related illnesses while working at Brush Wellman, according to Emily Hicks, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Hicks said the number of former Brush Wellman workers with the disease may actually be higher because the company became self-insured in 1996, so it no longer has to file claims through the state agency.

Lawsuits against beryllium-processing companies have been filed in other states including Arizona, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

These suits may only be the tip of the iceberg, according to NIOSH's Hoover, who compared the rise in claims to the flurry of asbestos lawsuits during the past few decades. "Because beryllium is widely used in many industries, such as aerospace and electronics, it is likely that there are cases that have not yet been discovered. It's important that general awareness be increased, and that exposure-control practices be understood and strictly adhered to," Hoover said.

OSHA is currently re-evaluating its beryllium safety regulations. The agency issued a public request for information about beryllium risks in November 2002, but has yet to take action on the feedback it has collected.

The Department of Energy is funding research into new technology for detecting beryllium in the workplace. The agency contracted with scientific equipment company Apogen to develop portable machines that can analyze air quality in close to real time.

According to Tom McKendrick, senior scientist at Apogen, beryllium monitoring ordinarily requires collecting an air sample on a filter, and then sending it to a lab for analysis. The Apogen system allows air-quality problems to be identified almost immediately so changes can be made quickly, he said. "They (DOE) know they have a problem that they have to address," McKendrick said.

Apogen has developed two prototype Spark I.D. Beryllium Monitor machines for the DOE, but McKendrick is not sure if they will ever be sold commercially. "It's not a large market, because industry is not aware of the risk (of beryllium exposure)."

In March 2005, Biophage's Mandeville and researchers from around the world will gather to share the latest prevention and treatment techniques at the first International Beryllium Research Conference in Montreal. The United States is the world's leading producer of beryllium at 100 metric tons, followed by Russia and China, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (PDF).

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Goals

1.2 Applicability

2.0 Hazards

2.1 Acute Beryllium Disease

2.2 Beryllium Sensitization and Chronic Beryllium Disease

2.3 Skin and Implantation

2.4 Cancer

3.0 Controls

3.1 Chronic Beryllium Disease Prevention Program

3.1.1 DOE/NNSA Review of Beryllium Work Out of the Scope of the CBDPP

3.2 Exposure Reduction and Minimization Program

3.3 Standards

3.4 Engineering Controls

3.4.1 Exhaust Ventilation

3.4.2 HEPA Filtration

3.5 Administrative Controls

3.5.1 Population at Risk

3.5.2 Visitors and Other Ancillary Personnel

3.5.3 Hazard Assessments

3.5.4 Beryllium Inventories

3.5.5 Exposure Monitoring

3.5.6 Safety Documents

3.5.7 Beryllium Work Areas and Regulated Beryllium Work Areas

3.5.8 Labeling and Posting

3.5.9 Training

3.5.10 Medical Surveillance

3.5.11 Beryllium Registry

3.6 Personal Protective Equipment

3.6.1 Respiratory Protection

3.6.2 Other Personal Protective Equipment

3.7 Facilities and Equipment

3.8 Housekeeping

3.9 Shipment and Receipt of Potentially Beryllium-contaminated Items

3.10 Storage

3.11 Waste

3.11.1 Waste Handling

3.11.2 Wastewater Discharges

3.11.3 Waste Minimization

3.12 Emergency Response

3.13 Decontamination for Reuse, Disposal, or Excess

3.13.1 Equipment

3.13.2 Facilities

3.14 Beryllium Article Exemption

4.0 Responsibilities

4.1 Workers

4.2 Responsible Individuals and Work Supervisors

4.3 Payroll Supervisors

4.4 Hazards Control Department

4.5 Health Services Department

4.6 Environmental Protection Department

4.7 Materials Management Section

4.8 Technical Release Representatives and Other Personnel Who Purchase Beryllium

4.9 Facility Managers

4.10 Human Resources Department

5.0 Work Smart Standards

6.0 Resources for More Information

6.1 Contacts

6.2 Applicable Lessons Learned

6.3 Other Sources