Chronic Beryllium Disease
Synonyms
beryllium disease, berylliosis
Definition
Beryllium, an alkaline earth metal, is the fourth element of the periodic table, with an atomic weight of 9.012. It is the 44th most abundant element, dull grey in color and occurs naturally in the environment. Beryllium was discovered by Vanquelin in 1797, but commercial manufacture of beryllium products did not begin until after beryllium-copper-aluminium alloy was patented in 1926 (1).
A chemical pneumonitis was described in beryllium workers in the early 1940s, but it was not attributed to their beryllium exposure. Beryllium toxicity was first recognized in workers engaged in the manufacture of fluorescent lamps and was termed acute beryllium disease (ABD). In 1949 the Atomic Energy Commission implemented an 8-hour exposure limit of 2 μg/m3, and ABD became rare. ABD is commonly associated with very high exposures to soluble salts whereas chronic beryllium disease (CBD), a debilitating, persistent granulomatous lung disease, is...
References
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