Chemical speciation used to assess [S,S′]-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) as a readily-biodegradable replacement for EDTA in radiochemical decontamination formulations

Preliminary investigations into the replacement of widely used chelating agents for industrial cleansing of radionuclide contaminated items using readily biodegradable alternatives which have equivalent effectiveness, have been made using chemical speciation simulation programs and databases such as the JESS system. The chelation of radionuclide cations by [S,S′]-EDDS has been compared with traditional decontamination agents, EDTA and citrate. Models indicate that in many respects, [S,S′]-EDDS compares favourably with EDTA