Beryllium oxide

Health surveillance data

Administrative data

Endpoint:

health surveillance data

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: The study includes a relatively large potential database and includes observations of multiple timepoints.

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

2008

Materials and methods

Study type:

other: Multi-year observation individuals having been involved with BeO manufacture and processing

Test guideline

Qualifier:

no guideline followed

Principles of method if other than guideline:

The study is part of an observation (1992-2003) of 136 workers who has been involved with BeO manufacture. The current study includes data on sensitisation and diagnosis of chronic beryllium disease.

GLP compliance:

no

Remarks:

Not relevant

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Beryllium oxide

EC Number:

215-133-1

EC Name:

Beryllium oxide

Cas Number:

1304-56-9

Molecular formula:

BeO

IUPAC Name:

oxoberyllium

Details on test material:

Not clearly defined but BeO from BeO ceramics facility. Exposure comes from a variety of activities and includes inhalation and skin.

Method

Type of population:

occupational

Ethical approval:

confirmed and informed consent free of coercion received

Remarks:

Study approved by the Human Subjects Review Board of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Details on study design:

A cohort of 136 BeO subjects with known exposure to BeO from a BeO ceramics facility was followed from 1992 to 2003. The cohort was subjected to a survey and a blood sample was drawn for a Be lymphocyte proliferation test. If sensitization was confirmed, the subject was referred to clinical evaluation for diagnosis of Chronic Beryllium Disease.

Results and discussion

Results:

The number of sensitized individuals was increased in 2003 relative to 1992. The work process resulting in the highest level of sensitization was machining with 20 %. Please see Tables 1-4 below for in depth results.

Any other information on results incl. tables

Table 1 Prevalence of sensitisation and Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD)

Times tested	No. tested	Sensitized (%)	CBD only (%)	% sensitized with CBD	Mean years since hire (range)	Mean years since last test (range)
1	136	5.9	4.4	75.0	7.7 (0.5 -36.0)	-
2	106	10.4	7.5	72.7	15.0 (7.7 -47.3)	6.7 (3.2 -12.4)
3	60	5.0	1.7	33.1	18.3 (11.5 -35.1)	3.2 (2.1 -5.4)
4	2	0	n/a	n/a	20.6 (20.0 -21.2)	3.2 (3.2)

Table 2 Characteristics of BeO workers according to health status

Characteristic	Not sensitized (n=114)	All sensitized (n=22)	CBD (n=15)	Sensitized (not CBD, n=7)
Gender	63.2	50.0	46.7	57.1
Race/ethnicity	67.5	45.5**	46.7	42.9**
Smoker (at any time)	51.8	63.6	46.7	100.0*
Average age at hire	32.5	35.1	35.7	33.6

* 0.05 <=p<0.10

** p<0.05

Table 3 Hazard ratios

	All sensitized		CBD only
	HR	95 % CI	HR	95 % CI
Chronic cough	1.84	(0.80, 4.27)	1.94	(0.71, 5.36)
Skin problems	1.16	(0.50, 2.68)	2.16	(0.74, 6.32)
Skin ulcers	1.21	(0.47, 3.09)	1.16	(0.37, 3.65)
Race/ethnicity (white vs other)	0.40**	(0.17, 0.93)	0.42*	(0.15, 1.15)
Race/ethnicity (hispanic vs other)	2.21*	(0.95, 5.11)	2.43*	(0.88, 6.70)

* 0.05 <=p<0.10

** p<0.05

Table 4

Job or process	All sensitized		CBD only
	HR	95% CI	HR	95% CI
Production work
Lapping	1.72	(0.6. 4.36)	1.33	(0.42, 4.16)
Machining	3.13**	(1.21, 8.06)	4.65**	(1.30, 16.61 )
Forming	2.38*	(0.91, 6.20)	2.10	(0.66, 6.65)
Firing	2.97*	(0.93, 9.48)	2.37	( 0.62, 9.06)
Metallisizing	0.41	(0.06, 3.13)	0.62	(0.08, 4.88 )
Tape	0.44	(0.06, 3.42)	0.66	(0.08, 5.50 )
Material preparation	0.00	-	0.00	-
Production support
Janitor/laundry	1.97	(0.45, 8.64)	2.90	(0.63, 13.42
Packaging	2.57	0.93, 7.08)	2.52	(0.74, 8.58
Admin-production areas	0.92	0.35, 2.39)	0.95	(0.30, 3.02
Quality control	1.01	0.41, 2.50)	0.74	(0.24, 2.31
Maintenance	0.00	-	0.00	-
Administration
Admin-office areas	0.54	0.19, 1.54)	0.29	(0.06, 1.35

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Conclusions:

There is an increase in the number of workers with Be sensitisation with increased employment and time of exposure. The authors also report that workers hired recently has a significantly lower frequency of sensitisation due to efforts to prevent workers

Executive summary:

A cohort of 136 workers in a BeO ceramics facility were followed from 1992 to 2003. The results from Be Lymphocyte Proliferation Test was compared between 1992 and 2003. The workers were also subject to clinical evaluation of eventual CBD diagnosis. In 1992, a total of 8 (5.8 %) workers were diagnosed with sensititation and 6 of these also had chronic beryllium disease (CBD). In 1998, sensitisation was found in 10 % of the workers and 3.3 % was diagnosed with CBD. Machining was also the activity associated with the highest degree of sensitisation.