Environmental Health Criteria 106 Beryllium Please note that the layout and pagination of this web version are not identical with the printed version. Beryllium (EHC 106, 1990) INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA 106 BERYLLIUM This report contains the collective views of an international group of experts and does not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, or the World Health Organization. Published under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organization World Health Orgnization Geneva, 1990 The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) is a joint venture of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organization. The main objective of the IPCS is to carry out and disseminate evaluations of the effects of chemicals on human health and the quality of the environment. Supporting activities include the development of epidemiological, experimental laboratory, and risk-assessment methods that could produce internationally comparable results, and the development of manpower in the field of toxicology. Other activities carried out by the IPCS include the development of know-how for coping with chemical accidents, coordination of laboratory testing and epidemiological studies, and promotion of research on the mechanisms of the biological action of chemicals. WHO Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Beryllium. (Environmental health criteria ; 106) 1.Beryllium I.Series ISBN 92 4 157106 3 (NLM Classification: QV 275) ISSN 0250-863X Page 1 of 136 Beryllium (EHC 106, 1990) The World Health Organization welcomes requests for permission to reproduce or translate its publications, in part or in full. Applications and enquiries should be addressed to the Office of Publications, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, which will be glad to provide the latest information on any changes made to the text, plans for new editions, and reprints and translations already available. (c) World Health Organization 1990 Publications of the World Health Organization enjoy copyright protection in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. All rights reserved. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. CONTENTS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA FOR BERYLLIUM 1. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1.1. Identity, physical and chemical properties, analytical methods 1.2. Sources of human and environmental exposure 1.3. Environmental transport, distribution, and transformation 1.4. Environmental levels and human exposure 1.5. Kinetics and metabolism 1.6. Effects on organisms in the environment 1.7. Effects on experimental animals and in vitro test systems 1.8. Effects on human beings 1.9. Evaluation of human health risks and effects on the environment 1.9.1. Human health risks 1.9.2. Effects on the environment 2. IDENTITY, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, ANALYTICAL METHODS 2.1. Identity 2.1.1. Pure beryllium and beryllium compounds 2.1.2. Impure beryllium compounds 2.2. Physical and chemical properties 2.3. Analytical methods 2.3.1. Sampling procedure and sample preparation 2.3.1.1 Sampling 2.3.1.2 Sample decomposition 2.3.1.3 Separation and concentration 2.3.2. Detection and measurement Page 2 of 136 Beryllium (EHC 106, 1990) 3. SOURCES OF HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE 3.1. Natural occurrence 3.2. Man-made sources 3.2.1. Industrial production and processing 3.2.1.1 Production levels 3.2.1.2 Manufacturing process 3.2.1.3 Emissions during production and use 3.2.1.4 Disposal of wastes 3.2.2. Coal and oil combustion 3.3. Uses 4. ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT, DISTRIBUTION, AND TRANSFORMATION 5. ENVIRONMENTAL LEVELS AND HUMAN EXPOSURE 5.1. Environmental levels 5.1.1. Ambient air 5.1.2. Surface waters and sediments 5.1.3. Soil 5.1.4. Food and drinking-water 5.1.5. Tobacco 5.1.6. Environmental organisms 5.1.6.1 Plants 5.1.6.2 Animals 5.2. General population exposure 5.3. Occupational exposure 5.3.1. Exposure levels 5.3.2. Occupational exposure standards 5.3.3. Biological monitoring 6. KINETICS AND METABOLISM 6.1. Absorption 6.1.1. Respiratory absorption 6.1.2. Dermal absorption 6.1.3. Gastrointestinal absorption 6.2. Distribution and retention 6.3. Elimination and excretion 6.4. Biological half-life 7. EFFECTS ON ORGANISMS IN THE ENVIRONMENT 7.1. Microorganisms 7.2. Aquatic organisms 7.2.1. Plants 7.2.2. Animals 7.3. Terrestrial organisms 7.3.1. Plants 7.3.2. Animals 8. EFFECTS ON EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS AND IN VITRO TEST SYSTEMS 8.1. Single exposures 8.2. Short- and long-term exposures 8.2.1. Short-term exposure 8.2.1.1 Oral 8.2.1.2 Inhalation 8.2.1.3 Other 8.2.2. Long-term exposure 8.2.2.1 Oral 8.2.2.2 Inhalation 8.3. Skin irritation and sensitization Page 3 of 136 Beryllium (EHC 106, 1990) 8.4. Reproduction, embryotoxicity, and teratogenicity 8.5. Mutagenicity and related end-points 8.5.1. DNA damage 8.5.2. Mutation 8.5.2.1 Bacteria and yeast 8.5.2.2 Cultured mammalian cells 8.5.3. Chromosomal effects 8.6. Carcinogenicity 8.6.1. Bone cancer 8.6.2. Lung cancer 8.7. Mechanisms of toxicity, mode of action 8.7.1. Effects on enzymes and proteins 8.7.2. Immunological reactions 9. EFFECTS ON HUMAN BEINGS 9.1. General population exposure 9.2. Occupational exposure 9.2.1. Effects of short- and long-term exposure 9.2.1.1 Acute disease 9.2.1.2 Chronic disease 9.3. Carcinogenicity 9.3.1. Epidemiological studies 10. EVALUATION OF HUMAN HEALTH RISKS AND EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT 10.1. Evaluation of human health risks 10.2. Evaluation of effects on the environment 10.3. Conclusions 10.3.1. Acute beryllium disease 10.3.2. Chronic beryllium disease 10.3.3. Cancer 11. RECOMMENDATIONS 12. PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS BY INTERNATIONAL BODIES REFERENCES RESUME RESUMEN WHO TASK GROUP ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA FOR BERYLLIUM Members Dr V. Bencko, Institute of Tropical Health, Postgraduate School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Prague, Czechoslovakia Dr A.W. Choudhry, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, Kenya Medical Research Centre (KEMRI), Nairobi, Kenya (Chairman) Dr R. Hertel, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Aerosol Research, Hanover, Federal Republic of Germany Dr P.F. Infante, Office of Standards Review, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, US Department of Labor, Washington, DC, USA Professor A. Massoud, Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Page 4 of 136 Beryllium (EHC 106, 1990) Egypt Dr L.A. Naumova, Institute of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, Moscow, USSR (Vice-Chairman) Professor A.L. Reeves, Faculty of Allied Health Professions, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA Dr G. Rosner, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Aerosol Research, Hanover, Federal Republic of Germany (Rapporteur) Representatives of Nongovernmental Organizations Dr A.V. Roscin, representative of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), also a designated national observer, Central Institute for Advanced Medical Training, Moscow, USSR Observers Dr N.A. Khelkovsky-Sergeev, Institute of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, Moscow, USSR Secretariat Dr Z. Grigorevskaya, Centre for International Projects, Moscow, USSR (Project Officer) Dr E.M. Smith, International Programme on Chemical Safety, Division of Environmental Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland (Secretary) Dr V. Turosov (also representing International Agency for Research on Cancer), Cancer Research Center, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow, USSR NOTE TO READERS OF THE CRITERIA DOCUMENTS Every effort has been made to present information in the criteria documents as accurately as possible without unduly delaying their publication. In the interest of all users of the environmental health criteria documents, readers are kindly requested to communicate any errors that may have occurred to the Manager of the International Programme on Chemical Safety, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, in order that they may be included in corrigenda, which will appear in subsequent volumes. * * * A detailed data profile and a legal file can be obtained from the International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland (Telephone no. 7988400/7985850). ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA FOR BERYLLIUM A WHO Task Group on Environmental Health Criteria for Beryllium met at the Ukrania Hotel, Moscow, USSR, from 3 to 7 July 1989, under the auspices of the USSR State Committee for Environmental Protection, Centre for International Projects. Dr S.N. Morozov welcomed the participants on behalf of the host institution and Dr E. Smith opened the meeting on behalf of the three cooperating Page 5 of 136 Beryllium (EHC 106, 1990) organizations of the IPCS (ILO/UNEP/WHO). The Task Group reviewed and revised the draft criteria document and made an evaluation of the health risks of exposure to beryllium. The first draft of this document was prepared by Dr R. HERTEL and Dr G. ROSNER, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Aerosol Research, Hanover, Federal Republic of Germany. This draft was reviewed in the light of international comments by a Working Group comprising Dr V.