EDTA Full Form

Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid is an acid commonly used in medicinal and industrial settings. Ferdinand Munz was the first person to synthesise this compound in 1935. It’s a colourless crystalline, a slightly soluble organic compound used in biochemistry and inorganic chemistry. It is a chelating agent. It’s also something with a claw-like structure that we employ to grab and stick other molecules. It is a metal ion-binding compound that includes calcium, magnesium, lead and iron. It is a polyprotic acid that chelates calcium and various other metal ions. It consists of four carboxylic acid groups and two amine groups with lone-pair electrons.

Is EDTA a base or acid?

The full form of EDTA is Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. EDTA is a weak acid. Four carboxyl and two amine groups make up EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid), which can behave as electron donors or Lewis bases. EDTA is a hexadentate ligand because it can theoretically give six lone pairs of electrons to metal cations to form coordinate covalent bonds.

Uses of EDTA Acid:

EDTA is a prescribed drug that is administered into the muscle (intramuscularly) or the vein (intravenously), So some intravenous and intramuscular uses are-

• Intravenous use of EDTA is to treat the damage to the brain caused by lead poisoning; to see how well-suspected lead poisoning therapy is working; to eliminate copper in patients with Wilson’s disease; to help decrease calcium levels in people who do have too high levels; and to treat toxicity caused by radioactive organisms like plutonium, thorium, strontium, and uranium.
• EDTA is treated intravenously to treat blood vessel and heart disorders, such as irregular heartbeat caused by substances called cardiac glycosides, hypertension, “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), stroke, chest pain (angina), high blood cholesterol and blood circulation issues.
• Rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, osteoarthritis, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Parkinson’s illness, Alzheimer’s illness, and skin conditions, including scleroderma and psoriasis are various intravenous treatments.

Some other uses of EDTA are-

• EDTA is used as a medication for irritations in the skin produced by metals such as chromium, copper, and nickel.
• Some Eye drops also contain EDTA acid, which is used to treat calcium accumulation in the eye.
• Grain-based goods such as morning cereal are “enriched” with EDTA in food-bound to iron. EDTA is also used to preserve food and enhance its texture, colour and flavour.
• EDTA provides the rigidity of some pharmaceuticals, liquid soaps, contact lens cleaners, detergents, shampoos, agricultural chemical sprays and cosmetics in the production process.
•  It is used in specific blood collection tubes used in medical laboratories.
• EDTA acid is used in the muscle for lead poisoning and related brain damage.

Side Effects of Consuming EDTA Acid:

EDTA is deemed safe when used in tiny amounts as prescription medicine, eye drops, or a food preservative. EDTA can cause stomach pains, headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea, low blood pressure, fever and skin diseases. It is harmful to take more than 3 grams of EDTA each day or more than 5 to 7 days. You risk kidney injury, dangerously low calcium levels, and death if you ingest too much. EDTA appears to be safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding when used in dietary amounts. Larger quantities are unknown to be safe.

Diseases caused by EDTA:

• Asthma: Nebulizer solutions containing the preservative disodium EDTA can cause asthmatic patients’ breathing tubes. The amount of constriction is determined by the dosage size.
• Hypomagnesemia (low magnesium levels in the blood): EDTA binds to magnesium and increases the quantity of magnesium washed out in the urine. This could cause magnesium levels to decrease dangerously, especially in persons with low levels. If you have this issue, avoid using EDTA.
• Kidney problems: EDTA can harm the kidney. EDTA doses can cause severe kidney disease or kidney failure. Therefore EDTA doses should be reduced in kidney patients.
• Seizures (epilepsy): EDTA may increase the risk of seizures in people with epilepsy or in people who tend to have seizures. EDTA can decrease blood levels of calcium, and this can cause a seizure.

Tuberculosis (TB): Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs. The body can sometimes “wall off” infection pockets, rendering the infection inactive. The germs survive behind the scar tissue wall, but they cannot cause illness or infect others. Calcium is typically found in scar tissue. Some fear that EDTA could bind calcium in scar tissue, enabling the “walls” to give way and bacteria to escape. If you have active TB or have had TB in the past, avoid using EDTA.

Popular Full Forms:

Conclusion

The full form of EDTA is Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. EDTA is a weak polyprotic acid. It is an essential acid that is used for various purposes. EDTA is used in prescribed medicines and ointments. It is injected into the vein (intravenously) or the muscle (intramuscularly). It is used in treating lead poisoning, brain damage, and fast or irregular heartbeat, it is used in treating cancer too, and it is used in treating many more diseases. EDTA is used for manufacturing pharmaceutical products. Asthma, kidney problems, seizures and tuberculosis are some of the side effects of EDTA.