Protein and ligand enhanced dissolution of BeO at pH 7

Be is a toxic metal used in both aerospace and defense industries. Lung exposure to Be can lead to a specific immune response called chronic beryllium disease (CBD). CBD has the unique characteristics that it can be triggered by very low level exposures, yet the onset of systems can be delayed from one to over 20 years. This variable delay in the onset of systems implies that a change in the local environment leads to dissolution and bio-availability of the particulate Be. We report here on the dissolution of the highly insoluble BeO in the presence of known Be ligands including the iron transport protein, transferrin, and the ubiquitous citric acid. The presence of ligands even at the 100 μM level led to dissolution of Be to levels that have been shown to cause immune response in both the blood and the lung. Dissolution occurred at pH 7 and was significantly enhanced in a 10 mM phosphate buffer.