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BERYLLIUM
CAS No: 7440-41-7
I. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES (From HSDB, 1994)
Molecular weight 9.012
Boiling point 2970°C
Melting point 1287°C
Vapor pressure 10 mm Hg @ 1860°C
II.
HEALTH ASSESSMENT VALUES
Unit Risk Factor: 2.4 E-3 (µg/m 3 ) -1
[Calculated by US EPA (1992) from the human inhalation exposure data of Wagoner et
al. (1980).]
III.
CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS
Human Studies
US EPA (1992) reviewed several studies that found increased incidences of lung cancer in beryllium
processing workers. A cohort mortality study of 3055 white males employed at a single beryllium
processing plant in Pennsylvania with a median duration of employment of 7.2 months demonstrated a
statistically significant increased incidence of mortality due to lung cancer in the entire cohort, as well as
in the 2068 cohort members followed for 25 years or more since initial employment (Wagoner et al.,
1980). Recalculation of the number of expected deaths using 1968-1975 lung cancer mortality data
indicated that the increased incidence was significant only among workers followed for 25 years or
more (Bayliss, 1980; MacMahon, 1977, 1978), and was not significant when the number of expected
deaths was adjusted for smoking (US EPA, 1986).
Earlier studies of workers from the same beryllium processing plant alone or combined with workers
from other beryllium plants reported a statistically significant increase in lung cancer mortality (Bayliss
and Wagoner, 1977; Mancuso, 1970, 1979, 1980). These studies made no adjustment for smoking
and had methodological constraints and deficiencies that precluded their use to establish a causal
relationship between beryllium exposure and lung cancer.
Animal Studies
Slight, non-statistically significant increases in cancer incidence (all tumor types) were observed in male
Long-Evans rats (52/sex/group) following lifetime exposure to 5 ppm beryllium sulfate administered in
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