Risk of beryllium sensitization in a low-exposed former nuclear weapons cohort from the Cold War era

Marek A Mikulski; Stephanie A Leonard; Wayne T Sanderson; Patrick G Hartley; Nancy L Sprince; Laurence J Fuortes

doi:10.1002/ajim.20913

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Risk of beryllium sensitization in a low-exposed former nuclear weapons cohort from the Cold War era

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Risk of beryllium sensitization in a low-exposed former nuclear weapons cohort from the Cold War era

Marek A Mikulski, Stephanie A Leonard, Wayne T Sanderson, Patrick G Hartley, Nancy L Sprince and Laurence J Fuortes

American journal of industrial medicine, Vol.54(3), pp.194-204

03/2011

DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20913

PMID: 21298695

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Abstract

The nuclear weapons industry has long been known as a source of beryllium exposure. A total of 1,004 former workers from a nuclear weapons assembly site in the Midwest were screened for sensitization to beryllium (BeS). The screenings were part of the Department of Energy (DOE) Former Worker Program established in 1996. Twenty-three (2.3%) workers were found sensitized to beryllium and this prevalence was comparable to other DOE sites. Occasional, direct exposure to beryllium through machining and grinding of copper-beryllium (Cu-Be) 2% alloy tools was found to increase the risk of sensitization compared to background exposure (OR = 3.83; 95% CI: 1.04-14.03) with a statistically significant trend (P = 0.03) revealing that particular jobs are associated with sensitization. Exposure potential in this study was estimated based on job titles and not personal exposure information. These results confirm the need to screen workers using beryllium alloy tools in other industries and for consideration of altering work practices.

Nuclear Warfare

Heavy Metal Poisoning

United States - epidemiology

Confidence Intervals

Berylliosis - epidemiology

Risk Assessment

Health Status Indicators

Occupational Exposure - adverse effects

Humans

Berylliosis - etiology

Male

Mass Screening

Health Surveys

Nuclear Weapons

Berylliosis - diagnosis

Female

Aged

Poisoning

Copper

Odds Ratio

Beryllium - toxicity

Cohort Studies

Details

Title: Subtitle: Risk of beryllium sensitization in a low-exposed former nuclear weapons cohort from the Cold War era
Creators: Marek A Mikulski - Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, 2213 Westlawn, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. marek-mikulski@uiowa.edu
Stephanie A Leonard
Wayne T Sanderson
Patrick G Hartley
Nancy L Sprince
Laurence J Fuortes
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: American journal of industrial medicine, Vol.54(3), pp.194-204
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20913
PMID: 21298695
ISSN: 0271-3586
eISSN: 1097-0274
Language: English
Date published: 03/2011
Academic Unit: Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine; Occupational and Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984094630402771

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