Health effects of exposure to beryllium in the manufacture of conventional munitions

The conventional weapons industry is a major user of beryllium products. To date, data are lacking regarding the prevalence of beryllium sensitization (BeS) or Chronic Beryllium Disease in the Department of Defense (DoD) associated workforce. We screened 570 former and current conventional munitions weapons workers for sensitization to beryllium. The screenings were part of a Department of Defense (DoD) funded Munitions Workers Study that included an aim to determine if workers experienced an increase in beryllium sensitization compared to other workforces. Preliminary results indicate that eight (1.4%) workers were found confirmed sensitized to beryllium by either two abnormal or one abnormal and one borderline Beryllium Lymphocyte Proliferation Test (BeLPT). These workers were then evaluated clinically for Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD). The summary findings from the evaluations will be presented. The association of BeS with exposure to beryllium will be evaluated in a multivariate logistic regression adjusting for known and suspected confounders including age, smoking status and use of oral steroids. In addition, the prevalence of sensitization will be compared to the prevalence, noted in the literature, for other workforces.