how to prepare EDTA wash - (Jan/10/2008 )
i want to remove contaminating heavy metals from my glasswares and plastic wares. i was told about EDTA wash or acid wash (50% nitric acid). which is more effective and what is the composition of EDTA wash? thanks! 
i tend to think of edta as soapy water
are you thinking of sds?
we just throw a spatula full of edta into the soak water (boiling, when used for dialysis tubing). wash with copious amounts of dw to remove any traces of edta.
That's what I like: precision!
You would probably be better off adding 0.5 M EDTA solution, since the solid is likely to be insoluble.
The amount is totally non-critical, since any amount in DI water will be vastly in excess of the leached metals.
I'd autoclave the glassware with the wash solution inside.
are you thinking of sds?
no
i use it for epitope retieval (i suppose its a different kind of soap to sds - or am i completely deluded in this matter?)
maybe detergent would be a better word
Hi,
totally different question but still about EDTA, when you prepare a 0.5M EDTA solution, do you have to adjust the pH for the powder to dissolve completely?
i adjust the ph cos the ph is an important part of the ER but i dont seem to remember having to do this prior to help the powder enter solution (and i do 1M)
ok thanks
EDTA will not dissolve until NaOH is added in large amounts (approximately equimolar). It's been a very long time since I've tried, but I recall that it is impossible to make a 1 M solution, which is why the stock solution is 500 mM.