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Chemical collection and stock control for UK schools, universities and hospitals

EDTA (CAS 60-00-4): storage and disposal

EDTA turns up in more rooms than most lab chemicals: a school prep room, a histology bench, a dental surgery or a pathology store. Stock usually means the free acid as a solid or ready-made decalcifier solutions. It is classified as causing serious eye irritation, and it is hazardous waste when unwanted, so every holder needs to know which form is on the shelf.

CAS number
60-00-4
Form
Solid
Storage class
General
Signal word
Warning
Usual EWC code
16 05 06*
  • Harmful or irritant pictogramHarmful or irritant

What to do this week

  1. Check the label is readable and write down the opened date if it is not already there.
  2. Check it is stored as general stock and apart from the items listed under "Do not store with".
  3. If you no longer need it, add it to your disposal list so it goes on the next collection.

Safe storage in a school or lab

Eye protection decides how EDTA is handled, since eye irritation is its only classified hazard. Keep the free acid in a dry, labelled, well organised store, dated on arrival, and separate from any food grade supplies. Decalcifier solutions are the awkward part. Histology and pathology staff often buy them ready made, and the bottle carries a trade style label that does not name EDTA clearly, so write the chemical name on the shelf record as well. Dental surgeries should keep root canal products apart from histology stock. A tray stops a leaking decalcifier bottle spreading across a shelf.

How to tell it has deteriorated

Look at the condition of the container and label first. A decalcifier bottle that has sat for years often has a faded label, a crusted cap or a cloudy appearance, and any of these suggests the bottle should not be used. The free acid, being a solid, shows few visible signs of its own, so check for caking, damp patches or clumping that mean moisture has got in. A missing date of receipt is the most common failing. If the contents cannot be identified with certainty from the label, treat the bottle as unknown stock.

How it must be disposed of

By specialist collection only. It never goes down the drain or into general waste. It is normally packed in a non-regulated or low hazard laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

Group by form when arranging a collection. Free acid in solid form is packed with compatible solids in a lab pack, while ready made decalcifier is a liquid and travels separately. Record the form, volume, original label wording and container condition. School and college stores give the discarded chemical code, whereas pathology, histology and dental holders use the healthcare code. EDTA must not go down a sink, into clinical waste or a skip, and nobody should try to dilute it or treat it first. Collection is by specialist carrier.

Waste codes and transport details for EDTA
EWC code, laboratory chemicals16 05 06*
Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack16 05 08*
Human healthcare setting18 01 06*
Hazardous wasteYes

The code depends on where the waste came from and what it is mixed with. Use the waste code finder to see why.

Common quantities we collect

Usually held as: free acid, decalcifier solutions.

Part-used bottles and full containers are both fine. Tell us the size and how many, and an estimate is enough for a first price.

Where it is commonly held

Hazard statements

  • H319 Causes serious eye irritation.
Precautionary statements
  • P264+P265 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling. Do not touch eyes.
  • P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
  • P305+P351+P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
  • P337+P317 If eye irritation persists: Get medical help.

Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.

Questions

Is a decalcifier solution handled the same way as the EDTA solid?

It is described separately because it is a liquid, and the supplier safety data sheet for that product decides its details. Both go through specialist collection and neither may be poured away.

Can EDTA go in clinical waste from a dental surgery?

No. It is a hazardous chemical waste because of the eye irritation classification, so clinical waste bins are unsuitable. Use the healthcare chemical code when booking collection.

How do we spot decalcifier that has gone past its best?

A cloudy bottle, a crusted cap, a faded label or an unknown date all justify stopping use. Request collection rather than topping it up or mixing batches.

Guidance only. Check your own risk assessment and your supplier's safety data sheet.

Hazard data source: PubChem GHS Classification, retrieved 31 Oct 2026. Formula C10H16N2O8. EC number 200-449-4.

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