Do different forms of beryllium affect health outcomes?
Beryllium is produced in different forms, including beryllium metal, beryllium oxide, beryllium alloys, and beryllium salts. Each different form has special properties that make it useful for specific applications. For example, beryllium metal is transparent to x-rays, which makes it a useful material for windows in medical x-ray equipment; beryllium oxide has good electrical resistivity and heat conductivity, which make it useful for electronic circuit boards even in high temperature applications; and beryllium alloys may possess high strength, springiness, and corrosion resistance, making them useful for switches and springs. Substantial decreases in total airborne beryllium mass concentration exposure levels do not prevent or predict the risk of beryllium-associated illnesses. NIOSH researchers think that beryllium particle size, chemistry, and surface area and how the particles dissolve in the body may be important in determining how the body responds to beryllium. NIOSH researcher
Related Questions
- Will the fact that a school now has a different headteacher from the one who undertook the job matching exercise affect the outcomes of the job evaluation exercise?
- What are the different types of fillings for cavities, and bow do they affect your health?
- Do different forms of beryllium affect health outcomes?
