Outdoor & Yard / Compounds / HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol)

HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol) in the yard and garden

Low risk for your yard

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HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol) poses low risk to adults under normal use conditions.

What is hedta (n-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / versenol)?

The IUPAC name is 2-[2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]ethyl-(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]acetic acid.

Also known as: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt, N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, HEDTA, Heedta.

IUPAC name
2-[2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]ethyl-(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]acetic acid
CAS number
150-39-0
Molecular formula
C10H18N2O7
Molecular weight
278.26 g/mol
SMILES
C(CN(CC(=O)O)CC(=O)O)N(CCO)CC(=O)O
PubChem CID
8773

Risk for people, pets,

Low risk

HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol) poses low risk to adults under normal use conditions.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA—TSCA listed; registered as inert ingredient in pesticides
ECHA—H319 serious eye irritation

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where your yard encounter hedta (n-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / versenol)

  • Agricultural — Fe-HEDTA micronutrient fertilizer, lawn care iron supplements
  • Industrial — boiler water treatment, steam generation systems
  • Photography — color negative/positive developer solutions
  • Cleaning — industrial metal surface cleaning

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol):

  • Fe-EDDHA
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
  • EDTA
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.

Frequently asked questions

Is hedta (n-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / versenol) safe for your yard?

HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol) poses low risk to adults under normal use conditions.

What products contain hedta (n-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / versenol)?

HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol) appears in: Fe-HEDTA micronutrient fertilizer (agricultural); lawn care iron supplements (agricultural); boiler water treatment (industrial); steam generation systems (industrial); color negative/positive developer solutions (photography).

Why do regulators disagree about hedta (n-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / versenol)?

HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol) has been classified by 2 agencies including EPA, ECHA, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See HEDTA (N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / Versenol) in the outdoor app

Look up products containing hedta (n-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid / versenol), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in outdoor View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. — expert_curation

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →