Toxicity of Beryllium

Beryllium is very toxic to people. The severity of toxicity depends upon how it enters the body, how long it remains in the body, how much enters the body, and how many times it enters the body.  Inside the body, beryllium binds to phosphate-containing systems causing damage to ones health. Due to only small amounts of beryllium in the natural environment, there is no biological system creating a protection against this element, despite it being used more in today's industry. 

If one is exposed to high levels of beryllium for an extended period of time, chronic beryllium disease (CBD) may develop. CBD symptoms include fatigue, weakness, difficulty in breathing, and chronic coughing. CBD develops when the body senses beryllium particles entering the body, which is typically inhaled into the lungs. The immune system responds by sending white blood cells to the organ, which later prevents the organ from performing its job efficiently.