Breathing contaminated air or ingesting water or food near industry or hazardous waste sites. Beryllium can be harmful if you breathe it. The effects depend on how much you are exposed to and for how long. High levels of beryllium in air cause lung damage and a disease that resembles pneumonia. If you stop breathing beryllium dust, the lung damage may heal.
Some people become sensitive to beryllium.
This is called a hypersensitivity or allergy. These individuals develop an inflammatory reaction to low levels of beryllium. This condition is called chronic beryllium disease, and can occur long after exposure to small amounts of beryllium. This disease can make you feel weak and tired, and can cause difficulty in breathing. Swallowing beryllium has not been reported to cause effects in humans because very little beryllium can move from the stomach and intestines into the bloodstream.