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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

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pH-dependent cadmium binding to hemoglobin: Implications for human excretion

Min Yuan1, Qiying Nong2, Hua Guo3

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

The Science of the Total Environment
|December 10, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Lowering blood pH can release cadmium (Cd) from red blood cells by reducing its binding to hemoglobin (Hb). This strategy may enhance the body's natural excretion of toxic cadmium.

Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Biochemistry
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Cadmium (Cd) has a long half-life in human organs (30 years) but a shorter one in blood (3-4 months).
  • Reducing the body's cadmium burden is critical, with blood Cd elimination being a key step.
  • Currently, effective methods to promote cadmium elimination from blood are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the distribution and binding of cadmium in blood.
  • To explore the role of pH in cadmium-hemoglobin interactions.
  • To identify potential strategies for enhancing cadmium excretion from blood.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cadmium distribution in blood cells and serum from occupationally exposed workers.
  • Identification of cadmium-binding proteins using biochemical techniques.
  • Investigation of pH effects on cadmium binding to hemoglobin (Hb) in vitro.
  • Cellular experiments to assess cadmium release from blood cells under varying pH conditions.

Main Results:

  • Over 98% of blood cadmium was found concentrated in blood cells, primarily bound to hemoglobin (Hb).
  • Decreased pH significantly reduced cadmium's binding capacity and available binding sites on Hb.
  • Lowering blood pH promoted the release of cadmium from blood cells into the serum.

Conclusions:

  • Hemoglobin is the main cadmium-binding protein in blood cells.
  • Blood pH is a critical factor influencing cadmium-hemoglobin binding.
  • Manipulating blood pH presents a potential therapeutic strategy to enhance cadmium excretion and reduce body burden.

Keywords:
Binding affinityBlood cadmiumExcretionHemoglobinpH dependent

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