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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.

The new ECHA CHEM database has been released by ECHA, and it now contains all REACH registration data. There are more details on the transition of ECHA's published data to ECHA CHEM here.

Diss Factsheets

Ecotoxicological information

Endpoint summary

Administrative data

Description of key information

Additional information

Edetic acid can lead to effects in laboratory studies due to decreasing pH or binding of essential metals in the test medium. Since this is not related to intrinsic toxicity of edetic acid, studies showing such pH effects or nutrient depletion were not considered for the hazard assessment. Edetic acid and EDTA-metal complexes with non-active (toxic) metals form subcategory 1 within the whole category. Read across between subcategory 1 members is considered to be suitable and further explained in a read across justification document attached in chapter 13.


Experimental data are available for edetic acid or members of subcategory 1 investigating the short-term toxicity to fish, aquatic invertebrates and algae. No effects on fish, aquatic invertebrates or algae were observed below 100 mg/L. Thus, based on the WoE read across approach it can be concluded that edetic acid (and all other members of subcategory 1) are with high probability acutely not harmful to aquatic organisms.


No inhibition of the respiration of activated sludge was measured for subcategory 1 members up to the highest concentration tested, i.e. 640 mg/L. Thus, the 3h-NOEC/EC10 is determined to be > 640 mg/L. It can be concluded that the potential of edetic acid and other subcategory 1 members to cause inhibition of activated sludge microorganisms is low and significant inhibition of degradation processes in sewage treatment plants is not to be expected.


Experimental data for subcategory 1 members are available investigating the long-term toxicity to all three trophic levels. No effects on survival and reproduction were observed below 1 mg/L for algae, fish and invertebrates. The lowest NOEC value of 25 mg/L for reproduction of aquatic invertebrates was used for derivation of the PNEC freshwater and marine water.