Plant beryllium

Risk for the development of chronic beryllium disease has also existed for family members of workers, mainly from beryllium brought home on workdothes. In addition, individuals living in communities surrounding a beryllium plant may be exposed due to excessive plant emissions. While current plant emissions in the United States are probably safe, cases of community-acquired chronic beryllium disease continue to occur from exposures that have occurred in the past (M. Rossman, unpublished results). 

Sussman V, Lieben J, Cleland JG. An air pollution study of a community surrounding a beryllium plant. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1959 20 504—508. 

Primary beryllium production occurs at two plants within the U.S. One of these plants discharges its wastewater to the environment. Because of the limited number of facilities, beryllium production will not be discussed in this chapter. 

Chemical precipitation is used in porcelain enameling to precipitate dissolved metals and phosphates. Chemical precipitation can be utilized to permit removal of metal ions such as iron, lead, tin, copper, zinc, cadmium, aluminum, mercury, manganese, cobalt, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, molybdenum, and trivalent chromium. Removal efficiency can approach 100% for the reduction of heavy metal ions. Porcelain enameling plants commonly use lime, caustic, and carbonate for chemical precipitation and pH adjustment. Coagulants used in the industry include alum, ferric chloride, ferric sulfate, and polymers.10-12... 

Keywords biogeochemistry, plants, iron, beryllium, nonbarrier-barrier... 

The first data about nonbarrier iron accumulation by external layers of tree trunk bark were received by us on Ermakovskii fluorite-beryllium deposit in Zabaikalye. Detailed research of chemical element (CE) distribution in cross-sections of trees trunks and in their other parts and species of plants were conducted here for... 

Kovalevskii, A.L. 1991. Biogeochemistry of plants. Novosibirsk Nauka. (In Russian). Kovalevskii, A.L. Kovalevskaya, O.M. 1979. Biogeochemical prospecting for beryllium deposits. Novosibirsk Nauka. (In Russian). Perel man, A.I. 1989. Geochemistry. Moscow Visshaya shkoia. (In Russian). 

Strontium, barium, manganese, copper, molybdenum, and nickel are elements of strong accumulation in plant species of African Savanna ecosystems, in spite of different content in soils and soil-forming rocks. The Cb values are >1. The other elements, like beryllium, zirconium, titanium and vanadium, are less taken up by plants and their Cb values are less than 0.5. These refer to various exposure pathways to both microbes and plants as links in biogeochemical food webs. 

Metals are extremely important not only for chemical reactions but also for the health and welfare of plants and animals. Some examples of metals required for good nutrition, even in trace amounts, are iron, copper, cobalt, potassium, sodium, and zinc. Other metals—for example, mercury, lead, cadmium, barium, beryllium, radium, and uranium—are very toxic. Some metals at the atomic and ionic levels are crucial for the oxidation process that metabolizes carbohydrates for all living cells. 

Ward E, Okun A, Ruder A et al A mortality study of workers at seven beryllium processing plants. Am J Ind Med 22 885-904, 1992... 

Beryllium (Be) Lung, hypersensitivity, delayed and progressive effects (berylliosis), contact dermatitis Nuclear power plants, alloy in metals, coal combustion... 

Beryllium is an important metal alloy used in the nuclear power industry. Its presence in coal and oil results in more than 1250 tons being released into the environment annually from fuel combustion at power plants. Exposure is primarily from inhalation, but skin contact can result in dermatitis. Cigarette smokers also inhale a little beryllium. Initially, beryllium distributes to the liver, but ultimately is absorbed by bone. 

A number of metals and their compounds have been found to pose health risks to humans, other animals, and plants. When they occur in air, these metals are sometimes regarded as pollutants. Title III of the 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act, for example, lists the following elements and their compounds as "hazardous air pollutants antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, and selenium. 

Beryllium Power generating plants Toxic, carcino-genic( ) 4 ppb... 

Beryllium in Plants and Animals. In 1888 F. Sestini found beryllium in land plants grown m soils containing it (92, 93). He found later that, although beryllium may take the place of magnesium as a nutrient for wheat, it is not a complete substitute for magnesium in the production of seed (93). Beryllium is occasionally present m bone (94). 

Precise and accurate trace element assays on coal are extremely difficult and require constant vigilance to avoid errors that can be introduced both in the laboratory and in the coal-handling procedures. In the future this program will extend the present studies to coals from different parts of the country, study additional trace elements in coal such as arsenic, selenium, beryllium, and others, and apply the developed techniques to more power plants. 

Dermatitis is produced by skin contact with soluble salts of beryllium, especially the fluoride. It is controlled by a program of good personal hygiene, frequent washing of the exposed parts of the body, as well as a program where clothing is laundered on the plant site. 

Acute pulmonary disease is due exclusively to inhalation of soluble beryllium salts and is not caused by exposure to the oxide, the metal, or its alloys. The exact forms of beryllium causing the chronic pulmonary disease and the degree of exposure necessary to induce it are not precisely known. It is known that under the completely uncontrolled conditions existing in bery llium extraction plants before the establishment of air-count standards in 1949, when beiyllium air-counts were in milligrams per cubic meter of air rather than micrograms, only about 1% of the exposed workers became ill This would indicate a sensitivity of a limited number of individuals to beryllium. 

Beryllium was analysed by GC as a volatile chelate the most frequently of all elements. A rapid micro-analytical procedure for the determination of beryllium in biological fluids was developed and published by Black and Sievers [627], who devoted their attention to urine, blood, liver homogenates and plant extracts. The sample in ajsealed glass ampoule was treated directly with trifluoroacetylacetone, by which means the losses of the sample or possible contamination that occur in conventional ashing procedures were eliminated. 

The behavior of metals as atoms or ions deeply affects the electrochemical reactions they undergo, and similarly affects the metabolism of plants and animals. Iron, copper, cobalt, potassium, and sodium are examples of metals that are essential to biological function. Some metals such as cadmium, mercury, lead, barium, chromium, and beryllium are highly toxic. 

In 2008, the major beryl producer in the world was the United States, followed by China and Mozambique. In the United States, beryl was produced by only one mine in Utah. Some plants also converted beryl into beryllium and its compounds. 

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