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

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

The IUPAC name is disodium;2-[2-[carboxylatomethyl(carboxymethyl)amino]ethyl-(carboxymethyl)amino]acetate.

Also known as: 139-33-3, EDTA disodium salt, Disodium EDTA, Edta disodium.

IUPAC name

disodium;2-[2-[carboxylatomethyl(carboxymethyl)amino]ethyl-(carboxymethyl)amino]acetate

CAS number

150-39-0

Molecular formula

C10H14N2Na2O8

Molecular weight

336.21 g/mol

SMILES

C(CN(CC(=O)O)CC(=O)[O-])N(CC(=O)O)CC(=O)[O-].[Na+].[Na+]

PubChem CID

8759

Regulatory consensus

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

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