Sensitization and chronic beryllium disease at a primary manufacturing facility, part 2: validation of historical exposures

Implications of Common and Special Variation for Occupational Health

“…This data set was created by sampling each job at a primary beryllium-manufacturing facility approximately 15 times. This information was used as one component of managing the risk at the facility 3 and subsequently to prepare a job-exposure matrix 4,5 for an occupational epidemiologic study 6 of beryllium exposure and beryllium sensitization (BeS) and chronic beryllium disease (CBD).…”

“…In a recent beryllium occupational epidemiologic study, [4][5][6] job-average total beryllium exposure was calculated from sets of samples, the mode being 15 samples per job. The parameter most closely related to beryllium sensitization was the "highest average exposure" job worked.…”

NIOSH’s Respiratory Health Division: 50 years of science and service

“…Since the 1990s, RHD has partnered with a major beryllium producer on a multidisciplinary research project that has substantially improved the understanding of this hazard. Noteworthy achievements include characterization of what had been an elusive exposure–response relationship, 87,88 description of genetic contributions to risk of sensitization and disease, 89–91 and demonstration of the effectiveness of a comprehensive preventive program that includes periodic medical surveillance. 92–94 RHD also examined beryllium physicochemistry and toxicology, for instance publishing in this journal the results of experimental studies of the interaction between process materials and artificial airway epithelial lining fluid.…”

Sensitization and chronic beryllium disease at a primary manufacturing facility, part 1: historical exposure reconstruction

“…Overall, the temporal factors ranged from 1-4.6, and the changes in exposure over time were generally stepwise and often corresponded to changes in the workplace (eg, implementation of controls or process enclosures) (19,20).…”

“…The general area data (N=76 349 for the years 1994-1999) were collected from 274 fixed locations within the 24 process areas (identified in table 1) across all production and selected non-production units. General area air samples were collected using three sampling methods including: high volume (200-400 Lpm), continuous (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), and low-flow (2 Lpm) sampling methods (14). While information on sampling methods was not available, sampling durations of the general area samples included: 1-5 days (4.5%), 10-24 hours (10%), 6-10 hours (76%), <6 hours (9.5%).…”