Why the beryllium salts acidic when dissolved in water?

Aqueous solutions

of the soluble beryllium salts are acidic as a result of the

formation of Be(OH2)42+, the tetrahydrate, which will

react to form insoluble hydroxides or hydrated

complexes at pH values between 5 and 8

FROM

Dr Robert M. Bruce, National Center for Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection

Agency, Cincinnati, OH, USA, and

Mr Mark Odin, Syracuse Research Corporation, Syracuse, NY, USA