毒理性
人们暴露于相对高浓度的铍(大于100微克/立方米)会引起急性铍病,其特征是化学性肺炎。一些人吸入低浓度的铍会发展成慢性铍病,这是一种由呼吸困难、咳嗽、肺功能降低以及体重减轻等多种症状组成的肉芽肿性肺病。暴露程度与疾病发展之间的剂量-反应关系不明显,暴露与发病之间的潜伏期长,以及接触铍的人群中发病率低,这些现象表明该疾病是免疫介导的。与接触含铍合金相关的职业风险已有个体案例记录,这些个体接触过铍-铜和铍-镍合金。铍是一种对人类和动物都有致癌作用的物质。将铍暴露与人类癌症联系起来的流行病学证据表明铍对人类具有致癌性,国际癌症研究机构将铍引起的人类致癌性的证据列为“充分”。吸入铍的肺部影响也在多种实验动物物种中进行了评估。暴露于相对高浓度铍化合物的猴子出现了与急性铍病一致的症状和病理学发现。通过吸入或气管内滴注铍化合物,也已在豚鼠中产生了肉芽肿性肺病。各种品系的实验大鼠重复吸入含铍材料,包括可溶性铍化合物,已导致炎症和增殖性变化、肉芽肿性肺变化以及肺肿瘤的发展。尽管接触铍的大鼠已发展出不同程度的肉芽肿性肺病,但没有任何一种在大鼠的肺或铍超敏反应中发展出免疫病理学反应。研究还表明,几种种系的小鼠吸入铍后,会发展出具有慢性铍病特征的肺部病变。肺部病变包括淋巴细胞浸润肺间质,由T淋巴细胞和巨噬细胞组成的微肉芽肿的发展,以及一些肺纤维化的存在。在某些暴露条件下,从暴露动物支气管肺泡灌洗液中回收的淋巴细胞数量增加。
Exposure of people to relatively high concentrations of beryllium (greater than 100 ug cu m) causes acute beryllium disease, characterized by chemical pneumonitis. ... Some people inhaling low concentrations of beryllium develop chronic beryllium disease, a granulomatous lung disease characterized by dyspnea, cough, reduced pulmonary function, and a variety of other symptoms, including weight loss. ... The lack of a dose-response relationship between the extent of exposure and development of the disease, long latency period between exposure and onset, and the low incidence among beryllium-exposed individuals suggests that the disease is immune mediated. ... Occupational risk associated with exposure to beryllium-containing alloys has been documented for individuals exposed to beryllium-copper and beryllium-nickel alloys. Beryllium is a human and animal carcinogen. Epidemiologic evidence relating beryllium exposure to cancer in humans demonstrates that beryllium is carcinogenic in humans, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer lists the evidence for beryllium induced carcinogenicity in humans as "sufficient". ... The pulmonary effects of inhaled beryllium have also been evaluated in a variety of laboratory animal species. ... monkeys exposed to relatively high concentrations of beryllium compounds developed symptoms and histopathological findings consistent with acute beryllium disease. ... Granulomatous lung disease has also been produced in guinea pigs exposed to beryllium compounds by inhalation or by intratracheal instillation. ... Repeated inhalation of beryllium-containing materials, including soluble beryllium compounds by various strains of laboratory rats has resulted in development of inflammatory and proliferative changes, granulomatous lung changes, and the development of lung tumors. Although beryllium- exposed rats have developed various degrees of granulomatous lung disease, none have developed immunopathological responses in lung or beryllium hypersensitivity. ... studies have shown that several strains of mice inhaling beryllium develop pulmonary lesions with features consistent with chronic beryllium disease. Lung lesions consisted of infiltration of lymphocytes into the lung interstitium, development of microgranulomas consisting of T lymphocytes and macrophages, and the presence of some pulmonary fibrosis. Under certain exposure conditions, increased numbers of lymphocytes were recovered in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from exposed animals.
来源:Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)