Food is not a significant source of beryllium.
In human metabolism, it appears that beryllium is only slightly (about 0.006% of that ingested), absorbed by the digestive tract and is excreted rapidly.
What is absorbed is carried in blood, apparently as a colloidal phosphate bound to protein, to the liver, where it is retained initially.
Some of this is subsequently deposited in bone where it behaves in a manner skin to magnesium.
Benefits of beryllium in human nutrition have not been determined. It functions is yet unknown.
Beryllium is related to magnesium, which is essential element of human nutrition, and it can mimic this and displace it from certain key enzymes which then malfunction.
Inhalation of this particles is by far the major hazard to humans from this metal. Beryllium has been incriminated in pulmonary ailments of workers exposed to beryllium dusts.
They suffer inflammation of the lungs a condition known as berylliosis, or chronic beryllium disease, which leaves them breathless.
Beryllium
