J. L. Bray, Non-Ferrous Production Metallurgy, 2nd ed. (New York: John Wiley

C. H. Hurlbut, Jr., Dana's Manual of Mineralogy, 16th ed. (New York: John Wiley

W. N. Jones, Jr., Inorganic Chemistry (Philadelphia: Blakiston, 1949). pp. 607-609.

S. Glasstone and A. Sesonske, Nuclear Reactor Engineering (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1967). pp. 442-445.

For the latest data on beryllium, see Roskill. For toxicity information, see ATSDR.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently obtained information suggesting that OSHA's current 2 micrograms per cubic meter of air (micrograms/m3) eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) for beryllium in the workplace may not be adequate to prevent the occurrence of chronic beryllium disease (CBD), a disabling and often fatal lung disease, among exposed workers.

OSHA is publishing this Hazard Information Bulletin to alert employees working with beryllium about the hazards associated with their work. It describes engineering controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment recommended for controlling exposures to beryllium through inhalation and skin contact. It also suggests health surveillance methods to identify workers who may have become sensitized to beryllium, or who may have CBD.

Background

Beryllium is a metal that is found in nature, especially in beryl and bertrandite rock. It is extremely lightweight and hard, is a good conductor of electricity and heat, and is non-magnetic. These properties make beryllium suitable for many industrial uses, including: metal working (pure beryllium, copper and aluminum alloys, jet brake pads, aerospace components); ceramic manufacturing (semi-conductor chips, ignition modules, crucibles, jet engine blades, rocket covers); electronic applications (transistors, heat sinks, x-ray windows); atomic energy applications (heat shields, nuclear reactors, nuclear weapons); laboratory work (research and development, metallurgy, chemistry); extraction (ore and scrap metal); and dental alloys (crowns, bridges, dental plates); and sporting goods (golf clubs, bicycle frames).

Current Exposure Limits

The current OSHA PELs for beryllium are 2 micrograms/m3 as an 8-hour TWA, 5 micrograms/m3as a ceiling not to be exceeded for more than 30 minutes at a time, and 25 micrograms/m3as a peak exposure never to be exceeded. The OSHA limits have been in place for nearly 30 years and have not been revised in that time. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has recently published a Notice of Intended Change for its Threshold Limit Value (TLV) for beryllium that would lower the TLV from the current level of 2 micrograms/m3 to 0.2 micrograms/m3averaged over an 8-hour work shift.

Potential Adverse Health Effects From Beryllium Exposure

Chronic Beryllium Disease

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) primarily affects the lungs. 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. In some cases, CBD develops while workers are still on the job, but in others it may not develop until many years after a person has stopped working in the beryllium industry, or has been transferred to a job that does not involve beryllium exposure. The amount or length of exposure to beryllium necessary to cause a specific individual to develop CBD is not known, but recent information suggests that exposure below OSHA's 2 micrograms/m3 TWA PEL over a very short time (weeks or months) can lead to CBD in some workers.

Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Beryllium Disease