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- Title
Process‐related risk of beryllium sensitization and disease in a copper–beryllium alloy facilityThis article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
- Authors
Christine R. Schuler; Michael S. Kent; David C. Deubner; Michael T. Berakis; Michael McCawley; Paul K. Henneberger; Milton D. Rossman; Kathleen Kreiss
- Abstract
Chronic beryllium disease (CBD), which primarily affects the lungs, occurs in sensitized beryllium‐exposed individuals. At a copper–beryllium alloy strip and wire finishing facility we performed a cross‐sectional survey to examine prevalences of beryllium sensitization and CBD, and relationships between sensitization and CBD and work areas/processes.Current employees (185) were offered beryllium lymphocyte proliferation testing (BeLPT) for sensitization, clinical evaluation for CBD (if sensitized), and questionnaires. We obtained historical airborne beryllium measurements.Participation was 83%. Prevalences of sensitization and CBD were 7% (10/153) and 4% (6/153), respectively; this included employees with abnormal BeLPTs from two laboratories, four diagnosed with CBD during the survey, and one each diagnosed preceding and following the survey. Potential BeLPT laboratory problems were noted; one laboratory was twice as likely to have reported an abnormal result (P < 0.05, all tests), and five times as likely to have reported a borderline or uninterpretable result (P < 0.05, first blood draw and all tests). CBD risk was highest in rod and wire production (P < 0.05), where air levels were highest.Sensitization and CBD were associated with an area in which beryllium air levels exceeded 0.2 μg/m3, and not with areas where this level was rarely exceeded. Employees at this copper–beryllium alloy facility had similar prevalences of sensitization and CBD as workers at facilities with higher beryllium air levels. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:195–205, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
- Publication
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2005, Vol 47, Issue 3, p195
- ISSN
0271-3586
- Publication type
Article