Risks ofberyllium disease related towork processesatametal, alloy, andoxide production plant

Objectives-To describe relative hazards insectors oftheberyllium industry, risk factors ofberyllium disease andsensitisationrelated toworkprocess weresought in aberyllium manufacturing plant producingpuremetal, oxide, alloys, andceramics. Methods-All 646active employees were interviewed; beryllium sensitisation was ascertained withtheberyllium lymphocyteproliferation bloodteston 627 employees; clinical evaluation andbronchoscopywereoffered topeoplewith abnormaltestresults; andindustrial hygiene measurements related toworkprocesses takenin1984-93 werereviewed. Results-59 employees (9.4%) hadabnormalbloodtests, 47ofwhom underwent bronchoscopy. 24newcasesofberyllium disease wereidentified, resulting ina beryllium diseaseprevalence of4.6%, including fiveknowncases(29/632). Employees whohadworkedinceramics had thehighest prevalence ofberyllium disease(9.0%). Employees inthepebble plant (producing beryllium metal)who had beenemployed after1983alsohadincreased risk, withaprevalence ofberylliumdisease of6.4%, compared with1.3% ofother workers hired inthesameperiod, andaprevalence ofabnormalbloodtests of19.2%. Logistic regression modelling confirmed these tworiskfactors forberylliumdisease related toworkprocesses and thedependence ontimeoftheriskatthe pebbleplant. Thepebble plant wasnot associated withthehighest gravimetric industrial hygiene measurements availablesince 1984. Conclusion-Further characterization of exposures inberyllium metalproduction maybeimportant tounderstanding how beryllium exposures confer highcontemporaryriskofberyllium disease. (Occup Environ Med1997;54:605-612)