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EDTA Analysis Methods

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA, a metal chelating agent is found in many man-made and environmental settings, such as blood preservation, liquid fabric water softener, drinking and waste water, food coloring preservatives and photography. Pharmaceutical, environmental, medical and law enforcement tests use several analyzing methods to determine EDTA in molecular structures.



Analysis consists in using chemical and laser methods along with chromatography, which separates chemical mixtures into individual compounds, and mass spectrometry that takes the individual compounds and characterizes each component.

  1. Desorption Ionization on Silicon-Mass Spectrometry

    • Desorption ionization on silicon mass spectrometry, or DIOS-MS, involves spectrometry characterizations on EDTA components by using a chip-based laser on porous silica surfaces with deposits of the compound. The laser makes a desorption process to produce added protons -- protonated -- or remove protons -- deprotonated -- ions to the molecular structure during the gas phase. This spreads out the EDTA compound so specification of individual components can occur.

    Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

    • Gas chromatography mass spectrometry, or GC-MS, combine the two techniques for molecular analysis of EDTA with the use of an inert gas, such as helium or acidified alcohol, in the separation process. The metal chelating agent of EDTA becomes converted into its ester when injected with the mobile phase of inert gas.

    Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry

    • Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, or LC-ESI-MS/MS, involves a similar process to GC-MS in separating chemicals for molecular analysis by having a chemical reaction from a solution into a gas. LC-ESI-MS/MS uses an electrospray ionization to charge the mobile phase liquid, such as nucleic acids and solvents, added to the sample EDTA mixture and turns it into a gas, inducing molecular separation.

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