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DESIGNATIONS
CAS No.: 7440-41-7
Registry name: Beryllium
Chemical name: Beryllium
Synonyms, Trade names: Glycinium
Chemical name (German): Beryllium
Chemical name (French): Béryllium
Appearance: hard, shiny, silvery white metal
BASIC CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL DATA
| Chemical symbol: | Be |
| Rel. atomic mass: | 9.01 g |
| Density: | 1.848 g/cm3 at 20°C |
| Boiling point: | 2,970°C |
| Melting point: | 1,287°C |
| Vapour pressure: | 4.84 Pa at 1287°C |
| Explosion limits: | beryllium dusts may form explosive mixtures with air |
| Odour threshold: | none |
| Solvolysis/solubility: | beryllium itself is virtually insoluble in water but soluble in diluted mineral acids; beryllium hydroxide, beryllium oxide: insoluble in water, beryllium nitrate: 1,033 g/l (at 20°C), beryllium sulphate 424 g/l (at 25°C) |
ORIGIN AND USE
Usage:
Beryllium is used in nuclear engineering, the construction of
aircrafts and rockets, radiology and metallurgy.
Origin/derivation:
Beryllium is found in nature in various mineral compounds. It
makes up approx. 0.006 % of the Earth's crust. It can be
obtained as a pure metal by the sulphate, fluoride or chloride
process from beryl (3BeO.Al2O3.6SiO2)
Production figures:
The annual worldwide production of beryllium and its compounds is
3,000 - 4,000 t (acc. KOCH, 1989).
Emissions:
Approx. 8,000 t per annum (acc. KOCH, 1989)
Toxicity
| Humans: | TCLo 300 mg/m3, inhalation | acc. UBA, 1986 |
| LDLo 0.1 mg/m3, inhalation | acc. KOCH, 1989 | |
| Absorption of 0.025 mg/m3 no toxic effect | acc. KOCH, 1989 | |
| Mammals: | ||
| Rat | LD50 9.7 mg/kg, oral | acc. KOCH, 1989 |
| LD50 0.44 mg/kg, intravenous | acc. KOCH, 1989 | |
| LD50 0.50 mg/kg, intravenous | acc. UBA, 1986 | |
| LD50 0.19 mg/m3, inhalation | acc. KOCH, 1989 | |
| Aquatic organisms: | ||
| Small crustaceans | LC10 10 mg/l | acc. UBA, 1986 |
| LC50 18 mg/l | acc. UBA, 1986 | |
| LC100 50 mg/l | acc. UBA, 1986 | |
Characteristic effects:
Humans/mammals: Beryllium and its compounds are extremely poisonous. Poisoning is caused mainly by the inhalation of dust or by skin contact and causes irritation of and damage to the respiratory organs (bronchitis, pneumonia, dermatitis, the so called "beryllium disease"). Metal splinters or dusts which get into the skin cause beryllium ulcers and result in the most serious of known skin diseases. Oral application seldom causes poisoning since there is only slight resorption of beryllium. Chronic poisoning can be fatal. Pulmonary carcinomas induced in animal experiments. In the Federal Republic of Germany occupational illness/disease due to beryllium or its compounds must be reported to the appropriate authorities.
Long-term exposure causes beryllium accumulation in the bones and liver. With chronic intake, the latent period may be more than 5 years.
ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR
Water:
In water, the substance is found almost exclusively as
mineral grains. A solution may be formed under acid conditions
which inhibits the self-purification capability of surface water
and groundwater from a concentration of 0.01 mg/l. Thus,
beryllium poses a great hazard to fish and micro-organisms.
Air:
Beryllium is released into the atmosphere by emissions from
companies processing beryllium. It is also liberated when coal is
burned (on average 0.1-7 mg/kg; acc. DVGW, 1985).
Soil:
Soils are accumulation sinks.
Food chain:
Beryllium is accumulated in aquatic organisms
(bioaccumulation factor: 1,000). In addition to foodstuffs,
beryllium may also be absorbed in considerable quantities from
drinking water.
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
| Medium/acceptor | Sector | Country/organ. | Status |
Value | Cat. | Remarks | Source |
| Water: | Surface | D | (G) |
0.0001 mg/l | For natural treatm. | acc. DVGW, 1985 | |
| Surface | D | (G) |
0.0002 mg/l | For phys.-chem. treatm. | acc. DVGW, 1985 | ||
| Drinkw | SU | 0.0002 mg/l | 1970 | acc. DVGW, 1985 | |||
| Irrigation | D | (G) |
0.1 mg/l | For field culture | acc. DVGW, 1985 | ||
| Irrigation | D | (G) |
0.05 mg/l | For cultivation under glass | acc. DVGW, 1985 | ||
| Irrigation | USA | (G) |
0.5 mg/l | 1968 | acc. DVGW, 1985 | ||
| Irrigation | USA | (G) |
1 mg/l | 1968, short-time value | acc. DVGW, 1985 | ||
| Soil: | D | G |
10 mg/kg | in cultivated soils | acc. KLOKE, 1988 | ||
| Air: | Emiss. | D | L |
0.1 mg/m3 | mass flow > 0.5 g/h1) | acc. TA Luft, 1986 | |
| IL | 0.00001 mg/m3 | 24 h | acc. STERN, 1986 | ||||
| USA | 0.00001 mg/m3 | 24 h | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | ||||
| YU | 0.00001 mg/m3 | 24 h | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | ||||
| Workp | AUS | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | B | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | BG | (L) |
0.001 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | CH | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | CS | (L) |
0.001 mg/m3 | Long-time value | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | ||
| Workp | CS | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | Short-time value | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | ||
| Workp | D | L |
0.005 mg/m3 | TRK | Grinding of metal | DFG, 1989 | |
| Workp | D | L |
0.002 mg/m3 | TRK | Other work | DFG, 1989 | |
| Workp | DDR | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | MAK | Short & long-time value | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |
| Workp | H | (L) |
0.001 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | I | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | J | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | NL | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | PL | (L) |
0.001 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | RO | (L) |
0.001 mg/m3 | Short-time value | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | ||
| Workp | S | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | SF | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | SU | (L) |
0.001 mg/m3 | acc. SORBE, 1989 | |||
| Workp | USA | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | TWA | ACGIH, 1986 | ||
| Workp | YU | (L) |
0.002 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 |
Note:
The use of beryllium compounds in cosmetics is prohibited in the
Federal Republic of Germany.
1) Be and its compounds in respirable form, stated as
Be
Comparison/reference values
| Medium/origin | Country | Value | Source |
| Surface/groundwater: | |||
| Drinking water (1961-1966) | USA | 0.01-0.7 µg/l | acc. DVGW, 1985 |
| Upper Palatinate Forest | D | 1-12 µg/l | acc. DVGW, 1985 |
| Lake Constance (1971-1973) | D | < 0.2 µg/l | acc. DVGW, 1985 |
| Rhine (Lobith, 1983) | D | 0.01-0.09 µg/l | acc. DVGW, 1985 |
| Sediments: | |||
| Lake Baldeney, Ruhr (1975) | D | 1.4-1.7 mg/kg | acc. DVGW, 1985 |
| Air: | |||
| Atmosphere | 0.5-0.8 ng/m3 | acc. KOCH, 1989 | |
| Cigarette smoke | 0.47-0.74 µg/cigarette | acc. KOCH, 1989 | |
Assessment/comments
Due to the toxicity and the carcinogenic potential of beryllium, it is to be ensured that there is no long-term contamination of drinking water in particular. Industrial waste water should be filtered and the beryllium recycled. Direct skin contact is to be avoided when handling beryllium and its compounds.