What is beryllium?
A. Beryllium is a brittle, steel-grey metal found as a component of coal, oil, certain rock minerals, volcanic dust, and soil. Elemental beryllium (atomic #4) is the second lightest of all metals and is used in a wide variety of applications. In its elemental form beryllium exhibits the unique properties of being lightweight and extremely stiff, giving the metal several applications in the aerospace, nuclear, and manufacturing industries. Exposure to beryllium most often occurs in mining, extraction, and in the processing of alloy metals containing beryllium. Q. What is beryllium disease? A. Beryllium disease is caused by the inhalation of beryllium particles, dust or fumes. Its symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, weight loss or loss of appetite, fever and sweating. Medical tests may reveal abnormal lung sounds, lung scars, decreased pulmonary function, granulomas (a nodular form of chronic inflammation) and an allergy to beryllium.
Beryllium is a hard, grayish metal naturally found in mineral rocks, coal, soil, and volcanic dust. Beryllium compounds are commercially mined, and the beryllium is purified for use in nuclear weapons and reactors, aircraft and space vehicle structures, instruments, x-ray machines, and mirrors. Beryllium ores are used to make speciality ceramics for electrical and high-technology applications. Beryllium alloys are used in automobiles, computers, sports equipment (golf clubs and bicycle frames), and dental bridges.
Beryllium is a light, hard, silver-gray metal. It has very unique properties such as strength, electrical and thermal conductivity, and resistance to corrosion. The fact that it is a very light-weight metal is especially useful in space and military applications. It also has the highest melting point of all the light metals. These properties have contributed to the use of the metal and its oxide in a wide variety of technological applications. It is a relatively rare element, both in the earth’s crust and in the universe in general. This is because it is not usually produced in the typical life cycle of stars where most elements heavier than Helium (the second lightest element) are produced. Beryllium does not appear to be needed in trace amounts for plant or animal life the way some trace metals are.Recent estimates indicate that as many as 134,000 current workers in private industry and government may be exposed to beryllium in the United States. Some workers exposed to beryllium dus
Beryllium is a metallic chemical element grouped with the alkaline earth elements, which include magnesium, calcium, barium, radium, and strontium. Like other elements in this group, beryllium is a silvery gray metal, and its oxides are alkaline. There are a number of uses for beryllium, although care needs to be taken when handling it, since it has been established as a carcinogen. People who are exposed to beryllium on a regular basis should be especially careful about lung protection, as inhaling the fumes and particles of beryllium is very hazardous for lung health. The atomic number of beryllium is four, and it is indicated by the symbol Be on the periodic table of elements. It is the lightest of the alkaline earth elements, and appears in a rigid, steely gray form when it is pure. The element is able to resist corrosion rather well, and it also has a very high melting point. This traits make beryllium a popular inclusion in metal alloys. The hexagonal crystalline structure of ber
