ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid

eth·yl·ene·di·a·mine·tet·ra·a·ce·ticac·id

(EDTA) (eth'i-lēn-dī'ă-mēn-tet'ră-ă-sē'tik as'id) Chelating agent; as the sodium salt, used as a water softener, to stabilize drugs rapidly decomposed in the presence of traces of metal ions, and as an anticoagulant; as the sodium calcium salt, used to remove radium and other metals from hard tissue.