Standard Guide for Using Metal Ratios in Soils to Distinguish Between Anthropogenic and Natural Beryllium

Importancia y uso:

5.1 Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD) and Beryllium Sensitization (Be-S) caused by exposure to anthropogenic Beryllium (A-Be) are a continuing health concern in the nuclear and defense industries. The traditional worker protection strategy has been to compare total Be (T-Be) measurements taken in workplaces with appropriate limits or local background Be measurements. That strategy can be ineffective, however, where naturally occurring Be (N-Be) from local soils can be a non-negligible component of the measured T-Be. N-Be is not known to have adverse health effects. This MRM uses the ratio(s) of measurements of Be with measurements of one or more metals found in background materials, but not likely to be in facilities, to predict the amount of N-Be expected in individual samples based on the measurement(s) of the predictor metal(s) in those samples. The measured T-Be can be compared with the predictions to estimate the amount of A-Be present, if any.

5.2 In order to use the MRM it is required to identify local sources of N-Be that can be credibly transported into facilities, along with a means of sampling those sources. It would be helpful also to have insight into the metal content of the soils at those sources, to facilitate the identification of candidate predictor metals. Regarding the latter, there are published databases describing the chemistry of surface soils in many regions; however, information found in those databases should be regarded as suggestive, due to the modified sample preparation and analysis methods currently expected to be used because of the need to digest high-fired BeO, one form of A-Be of concern.

Subcomité:

D18.01

Volúmen:

04.09

Número ICS:

13.080.10 (Chemical characteristics of soils)

Palabras clave:

anthropogenic beryllium; beryllium speciation; metal ratio method; metal ratios;