How does Beryllium get into your water?
Beryllium is a silvery-white metal. It is relatively soft and has a low density.
Beryllium is used in alloys with copper or nickel to make gyroscopes, springs, electrical contacts, spot-welding electrodes and non-sparking tools. Mixing beryllium with these metals increases their electrical and thermal conductivity.
Other Beryllium alloys are used as structural materials for high-speed aircraft, missiles, spacecraft and communication satellites.
Beryllium is relatively transparent to X-rays so ultra-thin beryllium foil is finding use in X-ray lithography. Beryllium is also used in nuclear reactors as a reflector or moderator of neutrons.The oxide has a very high melting point making it useful in nuclear work as well as having ceramic applications.
Beryllium is found in about 30 different mineral species. The most important are beryl (Beryllium Aluminium silicate) and Bertrandite (Beryllium silicate). Emerald and Aquamarine are precious forms of Beryl.
The metal is usually prepared by reducing Beryllium Fluoride with Magnesium metal.
WPO informs us as follows:
Beryllium metal, Beryllium alloys and Beryllium oxide are the commercially important end products of Beryllium processing, respectively representing 10%, 75% and 15% of the total usage of Beryllium.
Beryllium metal is used primarily in the aerospace, weapons and nuclear industries.Beryllium alloy, mostly Beryllium–Copper, is used in the aerospace, electronics and mechanical industries because of its unique properties.It has been detected at low concentrations in discharges from weapons manufacturing.
Beryllium oxide is used for some ceramic applications, principally in electronics and microelectronics. Beryllium is concentrated in silicate minerals relative to Sulfides and in Feldspar minerals relative to Ferromagnesium minerals.
The greatest known naturally occurring concentrations of Beryllium are found in certain Pegmatite bodies. Certain fossil fuels contain Beryllium compounds.
The primary source of Beryllium compounds in water appears to be release from coal burning and other industries using Beryllium.
Other sources of Beryllium in surface water include deposition of atmospheric Beryllium and weathering of rocks and soils containing Beryllium.
The Health Implications of Beryllium
Beryllium and its compounds are toxic and carcinogenic.
If beryllium dust or fumes are inhaled, it can lead to an incurable inflammation of the lungs called Berylliosis.
