Surface Area of Respirable Beryllium Metal, Oxide, and Cooper Alloy Aerosols and Implications for Assessment of Exposure Risk of Chronic Beryllium Disease

Details

• Personal Author:
  Breysse PN ; Day, Gregory A. ; Dickerson RM ; Hoover, Mark D. ; Kent MS ; Peterson EJ ; Scripsick RC ; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B.
• Description:
  The continued occurrence of chronic beryllium disease (CBD) suggests the current occupational exposure limit of 2 microg beryllium per cubic meter of air does not adequately protect workers. This study examined the morphology and measured the particle surface area of aerodynamically size-separated powders and process-sampled particles of beryllium metal, beryllium oxide, and copper-beryllium alloy. The beryllium metal powder consisted of compact particles, whereas the beryllium oxide powder and particles were clusters of smaller primary particles. Specific surface area (SSA) results for all samples (N=30) varied by a factor of 37, from 0.56 +/- 0.07 m(2)/g (for the 0.4-0.7 microm size fraction of the process-sampled reduction furnace particles) to 20.8 +/- 0.4 m(2)/g (for the < / = 0.4 microm size fraction of the metal powder). Large relative differences in SSA were observed as a function of particle size for the powder of beryllium metal, from 4.0 +/- 0.01 m(2)/g (for the particle size fraction > 6 microm) to 20.8 +/- 0.44 m(2)/g (for the particle size fraction < / = 0.4 microm). In contrast, little relative difference in SSA (<25%) was observed as a function of particle size for the beryllium oxide powder and particles collected from the screening operation. The SSA of beryllium metal powder decreases with increasing particle size, as expected for compact particles, and the SSA of the beryllium oxide powders and particles remains constant as a function of particle size, which might be expected for clustered particles. These associations illustrate how process-related factors can influence the morphology and SSA of beryllium materials. To avoid errors in predicting bioavailability of beryllium and the associated risks for CBD, the mechanisms of particle formation should be understood and the SSA of beryllium particles should be measured directly. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Air Pollutants, Occupational Beryllium Copper Dust Irritants Lung Lung Diseases Metals Metal Workers Occupational Health Particulate Matter Poisoning Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety

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• Keywords:
  Aerosol-particles Airborne-dusts Airborne-particles Author Keywords: Chronic Beryllium Disease Beryllium-compounds Beryllium-disease Beryllium-poisoning Copper-alloys Dissolution Metal-compounds Metal-dusts Metal-fumes Metal-industry Metal-industry-workers Metal-oxides Metal-poisoning Metal-workers Metallic-compounds Metallic-dusts Metallic-fumes Metallic-poisoning Metallic-poisons Particles Pulmonary-disorders Pulmonary-system-disorders Respirable-dust Respiratory-irritants Respiratory-system-disorders Surface Area

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• ISSN:
  0002-8894
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; New Mexico ; Ohio ; Oklahoma ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  297-305
• Volume:
  64
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20024049
• Citation:
  Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 2003 May/Jun; 64(3):297-305
• Contact Point Address:
  Industrial Hygiene and Safety Group (HSR-5), MS K553, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
• Email:
  scrip@lanl.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Beryllium (CAS RN 7440-41-7) ; Copper (CAS RN 7440-50-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2003
• NORA Priority Area:
  Disease and Injury: Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20010601
• Source Full Name:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal
• End Date:
  20040531
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fd41723c5391e02204ebd51de5721d897216099a92b9a1ca72ab759935407a2954918403f4d00ae2e70be58dc709ed36c37d61033e1438b4ac519deae36e7c49
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/196063/cdc_196063_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 725.98 KB ]