Calcium Disodium EDTA: Uses, Side Effects, and Safety

Calcium disodium EDTA is a chemical compound that can trap and remove heavy metals, both from your body and from things like food, paper, shampoo, and cosmetics.

“It’s a particularly versatile compound,” says Christopher Cramer, PhD, chief research officer at UL Research Institutes, who is based in Chicago. “It’s a great compound for taking metals out of circulation.”

Here, we look more closely at how it’s used, its potential risks and side effects, and whether it’s safe.

What Is Calcium Disodium EDTA?

First synthesized in 1935, calcium disodium EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is a chelating agent, which is a compound that binds to and removes metals. It appears as a white powder and has no odor, according to PubChem.

Calcium disodium EDTA acts very differently in the human body depending on whether it’s injected or ingested. If it’s swallowed, it’s poorly absorbed, Dr. Cramer says.

Your body absorbs it much better when it’s injected in a muscle or, more often, through a vein.

How Is It Used?

Calcium disodium EDTA has two main uses in human health, both of which derive from its ability to trap metals. One is to treat severe lead poisoning. The other is as an additive in food.

Lead Poisoning Treatment

The main medical use of calcium disodium EDTA is to treat severe, life-threatening lead poisoning.

“These are really high levels where people have neurological impairment and are potentially comatose,” says Kaitlyn Brown, PharmD, clinical managing director of America’s Poison Centers, who is based in Salt Lake City.

Calcium disodium EDTA is typically administered with another compound called dimercaprol (British anti-Lewisite or BAL). While calcium disodium EDTA is good at getting lead out of the bone and hard tissue, BAL goes after lead in the soft tissue, Dr. Brown explains.

Healthcare providers usually inject both into patients who are already hospitalized and who represent a small percentage of all lead-poisoning cases. “These patients are typically the sickest of the sick,” says Brown.

Doctors usually administer the drugs over a five-day period to make sure the lead is completely removed, she adds.

Doctors treat less-severe cases of lead poisoning, which may include symptoms like abdominal pain, constipation, fatigue, weakness, and headaches, with a drug called succimer, says Brown.

Severe cases of lead poisoning develop over time as blood levels gradually rise with ongoing exposure to the metal. Lead can be inhaled or ingested. It can cause development issues in learning and behavior, especially in small children, according to Mayo Clinic.

If you’re concerned about lead poisoning at any level, call poison control at 800-222-1222, or visit PoisonHelp.org.

Calcium Disodium EDTA in Food

In the food industry, calcium disodium EDTA scavenges for and removes trace amounts of metal that accumulate in the process of food preparation.

Rollers, containers, and other aspects of food processing involve a lot of metals, which can end up in the food, says Debbie Petitpain, RDN, LDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, who is based in Charleston, South Carolina.

Even tiny amounts of metal can cause food to spoil faster, especially those containing fats. This process, called rancidity, happens when fats and oils are exposed to elements like oxygen, light, and moisture. You’ll know it when you smell it.

“If olive oil has been out on the countertop, it can smell ‘off,’” says Petitpain. “That’s rancidity. It’s a breaking-down process when something is exposed to air, and trace metals make that worse.”

Calcium disodium EDTA acts as a preservative and also helps products retain their color.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of calcium disodium EDTA in limited amounts in many processed foods, including:

• Canned carbonated soft drinks
• Pickled cucumbers and cabbage
• Canned beans
• Distilled alcoholic beverages
• Mayonnaise
• Salad dressing

Potential Risks and Side Effects

Your body absorbs only a small amount of calcium disodium EDTA when it’s a food additive, according to the European Food Safety Association. The rest quickly leaves your body, making side effects unusual. “The quantity put into food products is also far less than quantities given for metal chelation,” says Brown.

“There are no potential risks,” says Petitpain. It passes through the body quickly, she says, adding that the actual rate depends on what you’re eating.

When injected to treat lead poisoning, though, calcium disodium EDTA can have the following side effects:

Kidney Problems

This is the main risk when the compound is given as a medication. “It can be hard on the kidneys, and you could have renal failure,” Cramer says.

The metal compound that’s formed when lead and calcium disodium EDTA merge can get caught up in the tubes of the kidney, but that’s typically reversible once the therapy is stopped, says Brown.

Given how serious lead poisoning can be, “it’s definitely in the interest of people to have this if it’s indicated.”

Milder Side Effects

When used as a medication, calcium disodium EDTA may also result in less severe side effects, according to StatPearls, such as:

• Joint pain
• Chills
• Fever
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dark or cloudy urine, or trouble urinating
• Fatigue
• Racing heart

Potential Interactions

According to Cleveland Clinic, calcium disodium EDTA can interact with:

• Steroids, such as prednisone or cortisone
• Insulin with zinc
• Zinc salts

The Bottom Line: Is EDTA Safe?

When it comes to food, experts say calcium disodium EDTA poses few dangers.

“It’s present in really small concentrations, so the likelihood of you ingesting a reasonable amount by absorbing it through your gut is vanishingly small,” says Cramer.

It’s also been used in the food supply for a long time, adds Petitpain.

If you’re concerned about food safety, you can avoid calcium disodium EDTA and other additives by not consuming processed foods and focusing instead on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, says Petitpain.

There is the possibility of kidney failure when it’s taken as a medication, but the alternative would be severe lead poisoning, which can be fatal. “It’s a case of ‘pick your poison,’” Cramer says.