Beryllium Oxide

Excerpt from ERG Guide 154 [Substances - Toxic and/or Corrosive (Non-Combustible)]:

Use fine water spray. In case of fire in the surroundings, use appropriate extinguishing media.

Fresh air, rest. Half-upright position. Refer for medical attention.

Remove contaminated clothes. Rinse skin with plenty of water or shower. Wear protective gloves when administering first aid.

First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible), then refer for medical attention.

Rinse mouth. Refer for medical attention .

If material involved in fire: Extinguish fire using agent suitable for type of surrounding fire. (Material itself does not burn or burns with difficulty.) Use water in flooding quantities as fog. Use "alcohol" foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide. /Beryllium compound, NOS/

Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus when fighting fires involving this material. /Beryllium compound, NOS/

Suitable extinguishing media: Use water spray, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide.

Advice for firefighters: Wear self contained breathing apparatus for fire fighting if necessary.

Control of environmental exposure: Prevent further leakage or spillage if safe to do so. Do not let product enter drains.

Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Wear respiratory protection. Avoid dust formation. Avoid breathing vapours, mist or gas. Ensure adequate ventilation. Evacuate personnel to safe areas. Avoid breathing dust. Environmental precautions: Prevent further leakage or spillage if safe to do so. Do not let product enter drains. Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up: Pick up and arrange disposal without creating dust. Sweep up and shovel. Keep in suitable, closed containers for disposal.

SRP: The most favorable course of action is to use an alternative chemical product with less inherent propensity for occupational harm/injury/toxicity or environmental contamination. Recycle any unused portion of the material for its approved use or return it to the manufacturer or supplier. Ultimate disposal of the chemical must consider: the material's impact on air quality; potential migration in soil or water; effects on animal and plant life; and conformance with environmental and public health regulations.

Product: Offer surplus and non-recyclable solutions to a licensed disposal company. Contact a licensed professional waste disposal service to dispose of this material. Dissolve or mix the material with a combustible solvent and burn in a chemical incinerator equipped with an afterburner and scrubber. Contaminated packaging: Dispose of as unused product.

Personal protection: chemical protection suit including self-contained breathing apparatus. Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment. Sweep spilled substance into sealable containers. If appropriate, moisten first to prevent dusting. Carefully collect remainder. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Avoid formation of dust and aerosols. Provide appropriate exhaust ventilation at places where dust is formed.

SRP: The scientific literature for the use of contact lenses by industrial workers is inconsistent. The benefits or detrimental effects of wearing contact lenses depend not only upon the substance, but also on factors including the form of the substance, characteristics and duration of the exposure, the uses of other eye protection equipment, and the hygiene of the lenses. However, there may be individual substances whose irritating or corrosive properties are such that the wearing of contact lenses would be harmful to the eye. In those specific cases, contact lenses should not be worn. In any event, the usual eye protection equipment should be worn even when contact lenses are in place.

Gloves must be inspected prior to use. Use proper glove removal technique (without touching glove's outer surface) to avoid skin contact with this product. Dispose of contaminated gloves after use in accordance with applicable laws and good laboratory practices. Wash and dry hands.

If material not involved in fire: Keep material out of water sources and sewers. /Beryllium compound, NOS/

For more Preventive Measures (Complete) data for BERYLLIUM OXIDE (8 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

Guinea pigs sensitized by 12 biweekly intradermal injections of 10 ug beryllium sulfate reacted with delayed hypersensitivity to max subtoxic skin test doses of 5 ug beryllium oxide, with persistent granulomata and sensitivity proportional to solubility of salt.

Acute inhalation of a high level of beryllium can result in a pneumonia-like condition called acute beryllium disease. Chronic inhalation of beryllium can cause an inflammatory reaction in the respiratory system called chronic beryllium disease. Chronic beryllium disease may result in anorexia and weight loss, as well as right side heart enlargement and heart disease in advanced cases. Chronic exposure can also increase the risk of lung cancer. Skin contact with beryllium results in contact dermatitus. (L24, L25)

LC50; Species: Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow); Conditions: static; Concentration: 150 ug/L for 96 hr, soft water; 20,000 ug/L for 96 hr, hard water /Beryllium ion/

LC50; Species: Lepomis macrochirus (bluegill); Conditions: static; Concentration: 1,300 ug/L for 96 hr, softwater; 12,000 ug/L for 96 hr, hardwater /Beryllium ion/

EC50; Species: Cladoceran (daphnia magna); Concentration: 2,500 ug/L for 48 hr; Effect: reproduction /Conditions of bioassay not specified in source examined/ /Beryllium ion/

LC50; Species: Carassius auratus (goldfish); Conditions: flow through, measured; Concentration: 4,800 ug/Be/L, time not specified /Beryllium ion/

For more Ecotoxicity Values (Complete) data for BERYLLIUM OXIDE (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

AQUATIC FATE: In aqueous solution, beryllium exhibits only the +2 oxidation state(1). Soluble beryllium salts are hydrolyzed to form insoluble beryllium hydroxides(2). Under typical environmental conditions, the hydroxo-complex BeOH+ and Be2+, are expected to be the dominant dissolved species(1). Be(OH)2 is expected to precipitate from water given its low solubility at the pH range of most natural systems(1).

The substance can be absorbed into the body in hazardous amounts by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion.

Inhalation (L24)

Once in the body, beryllium acts as a hapten and interacts with human leucocyte antigen (HLA) DP presenting cells in the lungs, becoming physically associated with a major histocompatability (MHC) class II molecule. This MHC class II-beryllium-peptide complex is recognized by the T lymphocyte receptor, triggering CD4+ T lymphocyte activation and proliferation. The resulting inflammatory response is a cell-mediated process orchestrated by cytokines and results in the formation of (usually pulmonary) granulomas. Beryllium's toxicity may be controlled by the iron-storage protein ferritin, which sequesters beryllium by binding it and preventing it from interacting with other enzymes. (L25, A37, A91)

Cough. Laboured breathing. Shortness of breath. Sore throat. Symptoms may be delayed.

MAY BE ABSORBED!

Redness. Pain.

Chronic beryllium disease causes fatigue, weakness, difficulty breathing, and a persistent dry cough. (L24, L25)

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ ... Acute illness ... in beryllium industry ... reported ... /during/ ... processing of beryl ore for prodn of beryllium oxide. Thirty-eight cases with five deaths ... reported. Symptoms include cough, dyspnea, substernal pain, anorexia, increasing fatigue, & weight loss.

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ A chronic pulmonary condition known as 'berylliosis' ... is frequently fatal ... pulmonary x-rays demonstrated a miliary mottling, & interstitial granulomatosis was diagnosed ... caused by beryllium cmpd of low solubility, particularly the low fired oxide. No established dose response relationship ...

/CASE REPORTS/ Two cases of human carcinomas by beryllium aerosols were reported. In one case, an adult male had contact with the dust, vapors, and gases of beryllium oxide and beryllium chloride for about 3 years. 3 years after employment ceased, the worker had shadows in both pulmonary x-ray midfields. /14 years later/ autopsy confirmed the presence of carcinoma in the right pulmonary upper lobe, with metastases ...

/CASE REPORTS/ ... Persons who had ... constant exposure to beryllium oxide for 5 years showed appreciable excretion after 6 years' removal from contact ... no evidence of pulmonary involvement.

For more Human Toxicity Excerpts (Complete) data for BERYLLIUM OXIDE (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

Listed as a hazardous air pollutant (HAP) generally known or suspected to cause serious health problems. The Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990, directs EPA to set standards requiring major sources to sharply reduce routine emissions of toxic pollutants. EPA is required to establish and phase in specific performance based standards for all air emission sources that emit one or more of the listed pollutants. Beryllium compounds are included on this list. /Beryllium Compounds/