Iron chelate
Encyclopedia
Iron chelate, also known as chelated iron, is a soluble complex of iron
, sodium
and a chelating agent
such as ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA
), EDDHA
, or others, used to make the iron soluble in water and, for the purposes of agriculture, accessible to plants.
It is encountered as a dark brownish powder, and can be a mild irritant to the skin, respiratory membranes or eyes.
.
Iron chelate has also been used as a bait in the chemical control of slugs, snails and slaters in agriculture in Australia and New Zealand. They have advantages over other more generally poisonous substances used in that their toxicity is more specific to molluscs.
Iron chelate, commonly present as FeEDTA(Ferric Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid), is also used to control broadleaf weeds in lawns. It is very effective (comparable to historical chemicals such as 2,4-D) and allows for use of a green alternative without the need to sacrifice performance. However, there are a few weeds that are not damaged by FeEDTA and users will likely need a traditional herbicide to accomplish the task.
Since the 1970s, iron chelation therapy
with a similar agent, deferoxamine
, has been used as an alternative to regular phlebotomy
to treat excess iron stores in people with haemochromatosis
.
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
and a chelating agent
Chelation
Chelation is the formation or presence of two or more separate coordinate bonds between apolydentate ligand and a single central atom....
such as ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA
EDTA
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, widely abbreviated as EDTA , is a polyamino carboxylic acid and a colourless, water-soluble solid. Its conjugate base is named ethylenediaminetetraacetate. It is widely used to dissolve limescale. Its usefulness arises because of its role as a hexadentate ligand...
), EDDHA
EDDHA
EDDHA or ethylenediamine-N,N'-bis is an iron-chelating chemical used in bacterial siderophore studies.-History:...
, or others, used to make the iron soluble in water and, for the purposes of agriculture, accessible to plants.
It is encountered as a dark brownish powder, and can be a mild irritant to the skin, respiratory membranes or eyes.
Uses
Iron chelate is commonly used for agricultural purposes to treat chlorosis, a condition in which leaves produce insufficient chlorophyllChlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...
.
Iron chelate has also been used as a bait in the chemical control of slugs, snails and slaters in agriculture in Australia and New Zealand. They have advantages over other more generally poisonous substances used in that their toxicity is more specific to molluscs.
Iron chelate, commonly present as FeEDTA(Ferric Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid), is also used to control broadleaf weeds in lawns. It is very effective (comparable to historical chemicals such as 2,4-D) and allows for use of a green alternative without the need to sacrifice performance. However, there are a few weeds that are not damaged by FeEDTA and users will likely need a traditional herbicide to accomplish the task.
Since the 1970s, iron chelation therapy
Chelation therapy
Chelation therapy is the administration of chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body. For the most common forms of heavy metal intoxication—those involving lead, arsenic or mercury—the standard of care in the United States dictates the use of dimercaptosuccinic acid...
with a similar agent, deferoxamine
Deferoxamine
Deferoxamine is a bacterial siderophore produced by the actinobacteria Streptomyces pilosus. It has medical applications as a chelating agent used to remove excess iron from the body...
, has been used as an alternative to regular phlebotomy
Bloodletting
Bloodletting is the withdrawal of often little quantities of blood from a patient to cure or prevent illness and disease. Bloodletting was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily fluid were considered to be "humors" the proper balance of which maintained health...
to treat excess iron stores in people with haemochromatosis
Haemochromatosis
Haemochromatosis type 1 is a hereditary disease characterized by excessive intestinal absorption of dietary iron resulting in a pathological increase in total body iron stores. Humans, like most animals, have no means to excrete excess iron...
.