The objective of the research work was to evaluate the efficiency of three different sampling methods (Ghost Wipe™, micro-vacuum, and ChemTest®) in the recovery of Be dust by assessing: (1) four Be compounds (beryllium acetate, beryllium chloride, beryllium oxide and beryllium aluminium), (2) three different surfaces (polystyrene, glass and aluminium) and (3) inter-operator variation. The three sampling methods were also tested on site in a laboratory of a dental school for validation purposes. The Ghost Wipe™ method showed recovery ranging from 43.3% to 85.8% for all four Be compounds and for all three quantities of Be spiked on Petri dishes, while recovery with the micro-vacuum method ranged from 0.1% to 12.4%. On polystyrene dishes with 0.4 µg Be, the recovery ranged from 48.3% to 81.7%, with an average recovery of 59.4% for Operator 1 and 68.4% for Operator 2. The ChemTest® wipe method with beryllium acetate, beryllium chloride, and AlBeMet® showed analogous results that are in line with the manufacturer's manual, but collection of beryllium oxide was negative. In the dental laboratory, Ghost Wipe™ samplings showed better recovery than the micro-vacuum method. The ratios between the recovered quantities of Be in each location where the Ghost Wipe™ was tested differed substantially, ranging from 1.45 to 64. In the dental laboratory, a faint blue color indicating the presence of Be was observed on the ChemTest® wipes used in two locations out of six. In summary, the Ghost Wipe™ method was more efficient than micro-vacuuming in collecting the Be dust from smooth, non-porous surfaces such as Petri dishes by a factor of approximately 18. The results obtained on site in a dental laboratory also showed better recovery with Ghost Wipes™. However, the ratio of Be recovered by Ghost Wipes™ versus micro-vacuuming was much lower for surfaces where a large amount of dust was present. Wet wiping is preferred over micro-vacuuming for beryllium forms, but this conclusion probably applies to the ultra-low particulate loading levels (0.4 micrograms or less) which was tested in this study.

Exposure to beryllium compounds, both by inhalation and skin contact, may result in immune sensitization and chronic beryllium disease. The objective of the present research work was to study the feasibility of removing beryllium compounds from the surfaces of devices made of Be-Cu alloy and to estimate the frequency at which the surfaces had to be rubbed in order to evaluate the likelihood that beryllium can be removed from the surfaces by serial wipe sampling at concentrations exceeding the US Department of Energy (DOE) standard limit of 0.2 microg per 100 cm2. The standard limit was exceeded after successive cleanings of moulds and plates made of Be-Cu alloy with solvents such Citranox, an acidic solvent, Alconox, Z-99 and Fantastik, basic solvents, or more neutral solvents such as Luminox and water. Citranox was the best solvent for extracting beryllium from the tested surfaces, while Alconox seemed to be the second best one. In general, warm water, Luminox and Z-99 seemed to be less efficient for extracting Be from all equipment. The results of the present study suggest that Ghost Wipes, when passed across a surface under the firm pressure of an individual's hand, can be used to detect beryllium contamination. However, they seem to show low reliability for quantification. From a safety standpoint in occupational settings, workers should be offered skin protection and respiratory protection if they have to handle devices made of Be-Cu alloy.

To examine the influence of the sampling method on beryllium (Be) exposure assessment, a study was conducted in foundries and smelters to contrast the performance of five different dust sampling devices. Six sampling surveys were conducted in four different settings, and both personal and fixed station samples were collected using the following sampling heads: IOM samplers (inhalable dust), 35-mm plastic cassettes (total dust), aluminum SKC cyclones (respirable dust), 8-stage Sierra cascade impactors, and 12-stage MOUDI impactors. In total, beryllium concentrations were determined for 66/68 inhalable dust samples, 62/62 total dust samples, 56/57 respirable dust samples, 54/64 8-stage Sierra samples, and 19/25 12-stage MOUDI samples. In the magnesium foundry and aluminum smelters, the concentrations obtained during specific tasks could exceed the actual permissible exposure limit of the province of Québec (0.15 μg/m 3 ) or of the ACGIH threshold limit value (TLV) (0.05 μg/m 3 ). The median of median dust concentration ratios computed from the sampling heads at the fixed station decreased as follows: IOM (1.00) > Sierra (0.76) > 37-mm cassette (0.61) > MOUDI (0.48) > respirable (0.12). The same trends were observed with the ratios of the median of median Be concentrations at the fixed station but with a larger scattering within sampling heads as follows: IOM (1.00) > Sierra (0.69) > 37-mm cassette (0.64) > MOUDI (0.54) > respirable (0.19). The median of median ratios of dust (IOM (1.00) > Sierra (0.56) > 37-mm cassette (0.35) > respirable (0.06)) and Be (IOM (1.00) > Sierra (0.66) > 37-mm cassette (0.48) > respirable (0.11)) in dust were lower, and there was less scattering for the 37-mm cassette and SKC cyclone used during breathing zone sampling than for the same sampling heads at the fixed station. Inhalable aerosol measurements should remain the tool for estimating the risk of exposure to beryllium in these settings until a clear dose response is established for these sampling heads.

The objective of the present work was to estimate the efficiency of moistened wipes in removing beryllium with different solutions including Citranox, Alconox, NaCl 5%, Resolve, and Ledizolv on various types of surfaces such as unpainted metal, wood frames, painted metal, concrete, painted concrete, and Plexiglas from three different occupational settings. Of the three plants that were investigated, only surfaces in the aluminium smelter were decontaminated down to the clearance reference level of 0.2 microg 100 cm(-2), with all the solvents used. In the machine tooling and milling department, the clearance level of 0.2 microg 100 cm(-2) was reached after the three decontaminations, with all the solvents. In the machine plant for the military, aerospace, and telecommunications industries, the beryllium concentrations on the concrete wall, before decontamination with the high-pressure gun, were usually >3 microg 100 cm(-2), and concentrations as high as 31 microg 100 cm(-2) were measured. After the high-pressure cleanup, the beryllium concentrations were sometimes reduced by a factor of 10, but never reached the clearance level. Beryllium compounds that had adhered to most types of structures that we attempted to decontaminate were reduced to below the clearance reference value except on concrete floors. There did not seem to be any difference between the decontamination actions for all the solvents used in this study.

Stephanie Viau, MS, OTR, is Staff Occupational Therapist, Pinecrest Medical Care Facility, Powers, MI. In recent years, the health professions have seen an increasing call for evidencebased practice. Evidence-based practice is the “conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients” (Sackett, Rosenberg, Gray, Haynes, & Richardson, 1996, p. 71). Law and Baum (1998) further defined evidencebased practice as “placing more emphasis on the integration and transfer of research knowledge into practice to be used along with clinical judgment, client choice, and clinical training” (p. 131). In 2000, Holm discussed evidence-based practice related to the profession of occupational therapy and described how evidence-based practice is congruent with our profession’s Code of Ethics. Because occupational therapy as a profession has a code of ethics that calls for therapists to provide services on the basis of accurate and current information, we must, therefore, be concerned about the evidence-based research literature that supports evidence-based practice. Evidence-based research literature is important to the profession of occupational therapy for several other reasons. As early as 1985, Ottenbacher and Petersen stated that occupational therapy was a developing profession and, therefore, therapists must seek progress toward the emergence of a more scholarly approach to practice. Ottenbacher (1987) also stated that an increase in information would lead to the refinement of existing treatment techniques and the development of new therapeutic options. In 1998, Law and Baum described evidencebased research as also effective when communicating with other professions in the clinic. Not only do other professions discuss their practice in terms of evidence, but also clinical decisions, such as referral choices, could be based on the amount of evidence professions are able to provide to demonstrate the effectiveness of service. The need for evidence is also apparent when discussing health care spending and reimbursement issues. Law and Baum (1998, p. 131) stated that “the need for increased accountability, in conjunction with health care spending restraint, has accelerated interest in the use of research evidence as the basis for occupational therapy practice.” If we are unable to document the effectiveness of treatment, we may receive neither appropriate recognition nor adequate reimbursement for our services (Ottenbacher & Petersen, 1985). The issue for the profession, therefore, is that to be able to participate in evidencebased practice, we must have adequate evidence on which to base our treatment decisions. Ottenbacher and Petersen (1985) examined the occupational therapy literature for trends in research published over a 10-year period from 1973 to 1983. They classified research articles into four categories on the basis of the type of statistical analyses used: no statistical analyses; Dirette, D., Rozich, A., & Viau, S. (2009). The Issue Is—Is there enough evidence for evidence-based practice in occupational therapy? American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, 782–786.