title: Possible health risks from low level exposure to beryllium.
abstract: The first case of chronic beryllium disease (CBD) at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Rocky Flats) was diagnosed in a machinist in 1984. Rocky Flats, located 16 miles northwest of Denver, Colorado, is part of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons complex. Research and development operations using beryllium began at Rocky Flats in 1953, and beryllium production operations began in 1957. Exposures could have occurred during foundry operations, casting, shearing, rolling, cutting, welding, machining, sanding, polishing, assembly, and chemical analysis operations. The Beryllium Health Surveillance Program (BHSP) was established in June 1991 at Rocky Flats to provide health surveillance for beryllium exposed employees using the Lymphocyte Proliferation Test (LPT) to identify sensitized individuals. Of the 29 cases of CBD and 76 cases of beryllium sensitization identified since 1991, several cases appear to have had only minimal opportunistic exposures to beryllium, since they were employed in administrative functions rather than primary beryllium operations. In conjunction with other health surveillance programs, a questionnaire and interview are administered to obtain detailed work and health histories. These histories, along with other data, are utilized to estimate the extent of an individual's exposure. Additional surveillance is in progress to attempt to characterize the possible risks from intermittent or brief exposures to beryllium in the workplace.
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Department, DynCorp of Colorado, Inc., Golden 80402-0464, USA.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Stange
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Hilmas
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Furman
mesh_terms: D001607:Berylliosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D001608:Beryllium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003120:Colorado; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018876:Environmental Illness / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008669:Metallurgy; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001608:Beryllium