Guidelines for Metals and Metalloids in Ambient ... - ARCHIVE: Defra

Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards
Table 4.2: Prevalences of beryllium sensitisation and chronic beryllium disease in
beryllium exposed workers in the USA.
Source Site No. of
subjects
Beryllium
sensitisation
Beryllium
sensitisation
and CBD
Kreiss et al.
(1997)
Stange et al.
(1996)
Stange et al.
(2001)
Kreiss et al.
(1996)
Henneberger
et al. (2001)
Rosenman et al.
(2005)
Beryllium metal, alloy, and
oxide production plant
Nuclear weapons facility
Nuclear weapons facility
Beryllium ceramics plant
Beryllium ceramics plant
Beryllium production plant
627
4,397
5,173
136
151
577
9.4%
1.8%
4.54%
5.9%
9.9%
14.6%
4.6%
0.66%
1.57%
5.7%
5.3%
7.6%
198. The risk of chronic beryllium disease may increase with increasing
exposure although it has not always been easy to demonstrate this
(Viet et al., 2000; Rosenman et al., 2005). Exposure to particulate
matter less than 10 µm in mean diameter may be especially important
(Kent et al., 2001; Kelleher et al., 2001); Stefaniak et al. (2003) also
suggest that the total surface area of the beryllium-containing
substance is a better measure of relevant exposure. The chemical form
of beryllium seems also to be important with beryllium ore minerals
such as beryl and bertrandite posing minimal risk. Soluble beryllium
compounds are less problematic than insoluble ones such as beryllium,
the metal, its alloys and beryllium oxide, especially where the last is
produced at higher temperatures (Maier, 2002).
199. Machinists – who are exposed to greater concentrations of respirable
beryllium-containing particulate matter – have a higher risk of chronic
beryllium disease than other employees (Martyny et al., 2000; Stange
et al., 2001; Kreiss et al., 1996; Kelleher et al., 2001; Welch et al., 2004;
Newman et al., 2005). Several studies however, have identified both
sensitisation and disease among non-production workers including
administrative staff (Kreiss et al., 1993; Maier, 2002; Stange et al.,
2001; Rosenman et al., 2005).
200. There is an increased incidence of hypercalcaemia, hypercalcuria and
renal stones in patients with CBD. These probably reflect the
granulomatous nature of the lung disease. A mortality study of
workers at seven beryllium processing plants found an increased
incidence of death due to renal causes (Ward et al., 1992).
201. Reductions in levels of airborne beryllium have not necessarily been
accompanied by concomitant reductions in the incidence of disease;
dermal exposures – and even ingestion – have therefore been
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