Beryllium FAQ
Q: What is beryllium?
A: Beryllium is a brittle, steel-gray metal found as a component of coal, oil, certain rock minerals, volcanic dust, and soil. Because beryllium is a light weight metal and extremely stiff in its elemental form, it has several applications in the aerospace, nuclear, and manufacturing industries.
Q: How is beryllium released into the environment?
A: Beryllium dust enters the air from burning coal and oil, and eventually settles over land and water. Beryllium can also enter water from erosion of rocks and soil, and from industrial waste.
Q: How can beryllium exposure occur?
A: Beryllium exposure varies among different segments of the population. The general population is exposed to normally low levels of beryllium in air, food, and water. People working in industries where beryllium is mined, processed, machined, or converted into metal, alloys, and other chemicals, may be exposed to high levels of beryllium. People living near these industries or near uncontrolled hazardous waste sites may also be exposed to higher than normal levels of beryllium.
Q: What are the effects of beryllium exposure?
A: The health effects associated with beryllium exposure depend on the amount and length of exposure. Beryllium can be harmful if you breathe it. If beryllium air levels are high enough, breathing it in can result in an acute condition called acute beryllium disease, which resembles pneumonia. Individuals who become sensitive to beryllium (beryllium sensitization) and develop an allergic-type reaction may contract Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD), an inflammatory reaction in the respiratory system. CBD can cause weakness, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and can also result in anorexia, weight loss, and, in advanced cases, right side heart enlargement and heart disease.
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Most content from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR)
