What is beryllium disease?

What is beryllium disease?

Beryllium-induced lung disease can occur when beryllium dust or fumes are inhaled. There are 2 types of beryllium disease, acute and chronic:

• Acute beryllium disease is very rare today. Current workplace safety regulations prevent the massive quantities of beryllium that cause acute beryllium disease from being released into the air.
• Chronic beryllium disease (CBD, berylliosis) is associated with inhaling beryllium powder or fumes (although inhaling beryllium does not always lead to CBD). An exposed person usually gets sensitized to beryllium prior to progressing to CBD. Sensitization is similar to an allergy; when allergic or sensitized, the body reacts negatively to that particular substance. Beryllium sensitivity (BeS) and CBD can develop soon after exposure or many (30-40) years later. Of those working around beryllium, about 10% get sensitized to it and about half of those progress to develop CBD.

There is no health threat associated with contact with solid beryllium; however, both the solid and powder forms can cause irritation if they come in contact with broken skin.