Sources of Exposure and Industrial Hygiene of Germanium

First aid: Eyes: Irrigate thoroughly with water if discomfort persists, obtain medical attention; skin: wash off thoroughly with soap and water; inhalation: remove from exposure, seek medical advice; ingestion: wash out mouth thoroughly with water—in severe cases, obtain medical attention.
Occupational exposure limit(s): None
Reference value(s): None
Hazard statement(s): None
Precautionary statements(s): None
Risk phrase(s): None
Safety phrase(s): None

SOURCES OF EXPOSURE

Occupational

Elemental germanium may ignite spontaneously and explode when suspended in air as a fine powder (HSDB, 2002).

Germanium dioxide dust can form germanic acid, an irritant, if it contacts the eye (HSDB, 2000). Occupational exposures to dusts and fumes may occur during activities that involve separation and purification of the ore concentrate.

Environmental

The major source of germanium exposures in the general population occurs through the consumption of foodstuffs. Daily consumption estimates have been reported between 0.367 and 1.5 mg/day (reviewed by Tao and Bolger, 1997). The primary routes for potential exposure are through inhalation of dust and contact with skin/eyes. Engineering controls and personal protective equipment are required or recommended. A respirator and polyvinyl alcohol protective gloves are required. If chipping or dust formation is possible, safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields are also required.

REFERENCES

ECHA (2014) Registered Substances. Helsinki, Finland: European Chemicals Agency. Available at https://echa.europa.eu/ information-on-chemicals/registered-substances. CASRNs: 7440- 56-4, 1310-53-8.
EPA (2012) Chemical Data Access Tool (CDAT). Washington, DC: Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, US Environmental Protection Agency. Available at https://java.epa.gov/oppt_ chemical_search. CASRNs: 7440-56-4, 1310-53-8.
Lin,C.-H.,Chen,T.-J.,Hsieh,Y.-L., Jiang, S.-J.,andChen, S.-S. (1999) Kinetics of germanium dioxide in rats. Toxicology 132:147–153.
St. Georgiev, V. (1988) New synthetic immunomodulating agents. Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 9:446–451.
Tao, S.-H. and Bolger, P.M. (1997) Hazard assessment of germanium supplements. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 25:211–219.