Lung beryllium

Examples Silicosis, asbestosis, pneumonitis, pharyngitis, rhinitis or acute congestion farmer s lung, beryllium disease, tuberculosis, occupational asthma, reactive airways dysfunction S5mdrome (RADS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypersensitivity pneumonitis, toxic inhalation injury, such as metal fume fever, chronic obstructive bronchitis, and other pneumoconioses. 

Inhalation of certain fine dusts may constitute a health hazard. Eor example, exposure to siUca, asbestos, and beryllium oxide dusts over a period of time results ki the potential risk of lung disease. OSHA regulations specify the allowable levels of exposure to kigestible and respkable materials. Material Safety Data Sheets, OSHA form 20, available from manufacturers, provide information about hazards, precautions, and storage pertinent to specific refractory products. 

Beryllium, beryllium-containing aUoys, and beryUium oxide ceramic in soHd or massive form present no hazard whatsoever (31). SoHd shapes may be safely handled with bare hands (32) however, care must be taken in the fabrication and processing of beryUium products to avoid inhalation of airborne beryUium particulate matter such as dusts, mists, or fumes in excess of the prescribed workplace exposure limits. Inhalation of fine airborne beryUium may cause chronic beryUium disease, a serious lung disease in certain sensitive individuals. However, the vast majority of people, perhaps as many as 99%, do not react to beryUium exposure at any level (33). The biomedical and environmental aspects of beryUium have been summarized (34). 

Program faculty members are developing an automated cascade impactor for collection of task-based size distribution data of beryllium-containing aerosols. Based on the size distribution, the fraction of beryllium-containing aerosol penetrating a respirator and the inhalation and deposition in different regions of the lungs can be estimated. 

Mercury, lead, and cadmium can attack the central nervous system carbon tetrachloride and chlorinated phenols can destroy the liver ethylene glycol and cadmium sulfate produce kidney disease asbestos and beryllium lead to lung disorders and lead poisoning can cause mental retardation. 

Beryllium metal, beryllium-aluminum alloy, beryl ore, beryllium chloride, beryllium fluoride, beryllium hydroxide, beryllium sulfate, and beryllium oxide all produce lung tumors in rats exposed by inhalation or intra-tracheally. The oxide and the sulfate produce lung tumors in monkeys after intrabronchial implantation or inhalation. A number of compounds produce osteosarcomas in rabbits after their intravenous or intramedullary administration. ... 

Although a number of epidemiological studies have reported an increased risk of lung cancer among occupationally exposed beryllium workers, deficiencies in the studies limit any unequivocal conclusion. Specific criticisms concern the lack of consideration of latent effects, of smoking history, and of exposure to other potential carcinogens and the underestimation of expected lung cancer deaths in comparison populations. "... 

Further evidence that beryllium is a human lung carcinogen was the recent finding of increased risk among workers with higher beryllium exposures when dose estimates were lagged for 10 or 20 years. ... 

Mancuso TF Mortality study of beryllium industry workers occupational lung cancer. Environ 21 48-55, 1980... 

Wagoner JK, Infante PF, Bayliss DL Beryllium An etiologic agent in the induction of lung cancer, nonneoplastic respiratory disease, heart disease among industrially exposed workers. Environ Res 21 15-34, 1980... 

Steenland K, Ward E Lung cancer incidence among patients with beryllium disease a cohort mortality study. J Natl Cancer Inst 83 1380-1385, 1991... 

Sanderson WT, Ward EM, Steenland K, et al Lung cancer case-control study of beryllium workers. Am f Ind Med 39 133M4, 2001... 

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

Elemental Be and its compounds are very poisonous by inhalation or intravenous route. Chronic inhalation of beryUium dusts or fumes can cause a serious lung disease, beryUiosis, after a latent period ranging from several months to many years. Inhalation of airborne dusts can also cause an acute disease manifested as dyspnea, pneumonitis and tracheobronchitis with a short latency period of a few days. Skin contact with soluble salts of the metal can cause dermatitis. Beryllium also is a carcinogen. There is sufficient evidence of its inducing cancer in animals and humans. 

Individuals whose jobs expose them to unusually high particulate concentrations are especially susceptible to health problems from the pollutant. For example, men and women who work with the mineral asbestos are very prone to development of a serious and usually fatal condition known as asbestosis, in which fibers of the mineral become embedded in the interstices (the empty spaces within tissue) of the lung. Similar conditions are observed among coal workers who inhale coal dust (pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease) textile workers (byssinosis, or brown lung disease) those who work with clay, brick, silica, glass, and other ceramic materials (silicosis) and workers exposed to high levels of beryllium fumes (berylliosis). 

Camner P, Hellstrom PA, Lundborg M, et al. 1977. Lung clearance of 4-pm particles coated with silver, carbon, or beryllium. Arch Environ Health 32 58-62. 

Beryllium Ore extraction, ceramics, alloys Fibrosis, lung cancer... 

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