Chelating agents toxic metals 284

Laundry washing consumes and releases large amounts of chemicals into wastewater. Laundry products used in the household include detergents, bleaches, builders, and metal chelating agents. Toxic chemicals contained in these include surfactants, chlorine, organic peroxides, phosphates, alkalis, and glycol ethers [35]. 

Arsenic uptake in rabbit intestine is inhibited by phosphate, casein, and various metal-chelating agents (USEPA 1980). Mice and rabbits are significantly protected against sodium arsenite intoxication by (V-(2,3-dimercaptopropyl)phthalamidic acid (Stine et al. 1984). Conversely, the toxic effects of arsenite are potentiated by excess dithiols, cadmium, and lead, as evidenced by reduced food efficiency and disrupted blood chemistry in rodents (Pershagen and Vahter 1979). 

In summary, while chelating agents can be an effective treatment in some circumstances, they must be approached cautiously. The most important action is to identify the source of exposure and reduce or eliminate it. It is also very important to consider what essential metals may be bound and excreted by the agent. The body tightly regulates most essential metals and disruption of these levels can have serious undesirable (toxic) effects. 

Chelating agents are drugs used to prevent or reverse the toxic effects of a heavy metal on an enzyme or other cellular target, or to accelerate the elimination of the metal from the body. By forming a complex with the heavy metal, the... 

Chemical interactions are those in which one chemical combines with another to become more or less toxic. For example, the chelating agent EDTA combines with toxic metals such as lead and decreases its toxicity (antagonism). 

Chelating agents play a useful role in medicine, for example in the removal of toxic heavy metals from the body, but they are mostly acyclic compounds and there are few heterocyclic... 

---