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38--Industrial Toxicology 8 Each individual exposed to beryllium should be weighed every two weeks, and if loss of weight is noted the reason for it should be determined Bisphenol A. No data on industrial experi ence m the United States has been published Bisphenol A has been considered a nuisance dust Unaccluiidted personnel can withstand concentrations approaching 15 mg/m3 before complaining of ocular or nasal irritation An adequate ventilation system should be em ployed to maintain airborne dust below the TLV If circumstances arise which do not permit adequate control at the source, then approved respiratory protective devices should be used to prevent inhalation of bisphenol A dust Clothing must be frequently laundered to prevent continuous slan contact, personal cleanliness is essential to avoid skin difficulties Boric acid has been used for many years as a mdd disinfectant and a soothing and slightly astringent wet dressing or ointment with little attention to its toxicity Poisoning is not usually an industrial prob lem since the human system processes and eliminates fairly large quantities of bone acid without trouble, but it may result from mis guided first aid attempts Bone acid is not readily absorbed through the intact skin, but may be absorbed through large areas of skin which are senously dam aged, as in bums or areas of superficial lacera tions If such areas are dusted with bone acid or covered with strong bone acid oint ment, toxic amounts may be absorbed Boron hydrides are a senes of compounds analogous to the hydrocarbons, and include diborane, pentaborane, and decaborane, which have found use as high-energy fuels Diborane is pnmanly a lung-injuring matenal and produces lung changes in rats m one to four weeks of daily exposure at about 2 ppm The compound has an odor, but it is not detectable at a low enough concentration to act as a warning of the possibility of chronic poisoning Pentaborane, unlike diborane, principally affects the central nervous system In labora tory animals it produces first a temporary ex citement and hypersensitivity which may lead 1130 to convulsions, and then a profound depres sion Decarborane is similar m its action on the system to pentaborane It can be cumu latively absorbed over a short senes of ex posures and the total dose, although less than a single lethal dose, may stiff cause death In practice it is probably more dangerous to handle than pentaborane, since, in addition to being toxic by inhalation, decaborane is rap idly absorbed through the intact skin At tempts to treat or counteract its toxicity have been unsuccessful Boron hydndes should be handled only in a closed system in a well-hooded and venti lated area Self-contained or supplied air respiratory protection should be provided if the system must be opened (filter-type respi rators are not effective) For the handling of decaborane, impervious clothing should also be used to prevent skin contact Brass, chiefly an alloy of copper and zinc, may also contain lead Melting of brass may produce copious quantities of zinc oxide fume which, if inhaled, may give nse to the signs and symptoms of metal fume fever (Refer to listings for Copper, Lead, and Zinc in this chapter ) Bromine is a dark red, low-boding liquid which produces large quantities of extremely irritant, nonflammable vapor at room tempera ture or above Its physiological effects are about the same as those of chlorine--irritation of all mucous membranes and the lungs and spasm of the glottis when inhaled in fairly large concentration A bromine concentration of 40 to 60 ppm is reported to be dangerous on short exposure The irritant action of bromine is not related to the bromide intoxication seen from time to time from continued overdoses of bromides as sedatives In bromide intoxication, the most notable effects are on the central nervous system and are seen as slurring of speech, somnolence, difficulty in walking, and various psychic disturbances, depending on the per sonality of the individual involved Bromochloromethane (methylene chlorobromide) Knowledge of effects m humans is limited at present Anesthesia is the primary