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Beryllium
Beryllium is a naturally occurring metal found in beryl and bertrandite rock, certain types of coal, soil and volcanic dust. Beryllium was discovered in 1797 by Vauquelin in Paris. Pure beryllium is a hard grayish metal. Very pure gem quality beryl is better known as either aquamarine (blue or blue-green) or emerald (green).
Beryllium is extremely lightweight, hard, non-magnetic and resistant to heat, making it a good electrical and thermal conductor. Long used by the defense industry in nuclear weapons, missiles and other applications, beryllium is now more widely used in numerous industries including aerospace, automotive, electronics and telecommunications. Beryllium can also be found in dental work, bicycle frames, tools and dyes. Solid beryllium is not harmful, however beryllium dust created by people working with the metal can be ingested into the lungs where it can cause scarring leading to chronic beryllium disease and lung cancer.
Beryllium was first used in manufacturing in the 1920's and throughout the 1930's and 1940's. Contamination of equipment and work areas was common in beryllium production facilities. Following many cases of "chemical pneumonia" resulting in the 1940's, OSHA adopted community ambient air standards in 1949 for beryllium that remain intact today. However, cases of beryllium disease still occur due to an over sensitivity in some individuals to beryllium. According to researchers, as many as 800,000 workers in the United States may be exposed to beryllium.
- Electronics (transistors, heat sinks, x-ray windows)
- Atomic energy industry (heat shields, nuclear reactors, nuclear weapons)
- Laboratory work (research and development, metallurgy, chemistry)
- Metal working (pure beryllium, copper and aluminum alloys, jet brake pads, aerospace components)
- Ceramic manufacturing (semi-conductor chips, ignition modules, crucibles, jet engine blades, rocket covers)
- Extraction (ore and scrap metal)
- Dental work (alloys and crowns, bridges, dental plates)
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