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the drinking water (Schroeder and Mitchener, 1975a). Tumors were observed in 9/33 treated and
4/26 control rats. High mortality during the study resulting from a pneumonia epidemic at 20 months
greatly reduced the power of this study to detect any potential carcinogenic effect of beryllium exposure.
A non-statistically significant increase in combined lymphoma and leukemia incidence was observed in
female Swiss mice administered 5 ppm beryllium sulfate in drinking water for life (9/52 exposed, 3/47
controls) (Schroeder and Mitchener 1975b).
Male and female Wistar-derived rats were exposed to diet containing beryllium sulfate at concentrations
of 0, 5, 50, or 500 ppm for life (Morgareidge et al., 1977). Reticulum cell carcinomas of the lung were
observed in 10/49 male control animals, 17/35 low dose animals, 16/40 intermediate dose animals, and
12/39 high dose animals, respectively. Since the results were published only as an abstract, and since
no response was seen at the highest dose, these results are considered to be only suggestive for the
induction of cancer via this route.
Beryllium and beryllium compounds have been shown to cause statistically significant tumor increases in
male and female rhesus monkeys and several strains of rats via inhalation and intratracheal installation,
and the induction of osteosarcomas in rabbits by intravenous or intramedullary injection. Studies
describing the induction of lung tumors (adenomas, adenocarcinomas) by beryllium via inhalation during
exposure periods of up to 72 weeks are listed in Table 1. Intratracheal instillation of beryllium also
resulted in the induction of lung tumors and extrapulmonary lymphosarcomas and fibrosarcomas in rats
(Groth et al., 1980; Ishinishi et al., 1980).
Table 1.
Induction of lung tumors in animals exposed to beryllium via inhalation
Study Species/strain Compound
Reeves et al., 1967 male, female Sprague-Dawley rats beryllium sulfate
Schepers, 1961 male, female Sherman and Wistar rats beryllium phosphate,
beryllium fluoride,
zinc beryllium silicate
Wagner et al., 1969 male Charles River CR-CD rats beryl ore
Vorwald, 1968 male, female rhesus monkeys beryllium sulfate
Beryllium compounds were shown to induce osteogenic sarcomas in rabbits by intravenous injection in
12 studies and by intramedullary injection in 4 studies (US EPA, 1991)
V. DERIVATION OF CANCER POTENCY
Basis for Cancer Potency
Wagoner et al. (1980) studied a cohort of 3055 white males employed at a single beryllium processing
plant in Pennsylvania (exposed to beryllium metal, oxide or hydroxide) sometime between January 1,
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