# EDTA-induced remobilization of lead from suspended particulate matter in contaminated water samples from the Innerste River: a statistical evaluation

## TL;DR

This study evaluates how EDTA affects lead remobilization in a contaminated river and finds that current EDTA levels are unlikely to release lead from suspended particles.

## Contribution

The study is the first to apply Bayesian no-effect concentration modeling to EDTA-induced lead remobilization using unaltered river water.

## Key findings

- Baseline dissolved lead concentrations in the Innerste River reached up to 1.8 µg L−1.
- Measurable lead remobilization occurred only at EDTA concentrations much higher than those found in the river.
- Bayesian modeling estimated no-effect concentrations between 210 and 530 µg L−1 for EDTA.

## Abstract

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), extensively used across multiple industries, has long been discussed for its potential to enhance heavy metal mobility in aquatic systems, with studies yielding contradictory results. This study examines the remobilization of particle-bound lead from suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the Innerste River (Lower Saxony, Germany), which is affected by historical mining and known for substantial Pb contamination. Using real river water containing its native SPM to preserve the chemical matrix of the system, we assessed Pb partitioning between total and dissolved phases to evaluate EDTA’s remobilization potential. Baseline dissolved lead concentrations reached up to 1.8 µg L−1 (median 0.69 µg L−1). Across all batch experiments, a measurable increase in the dissolved Pb fraction occurred only at EDTA concentrations far exceeding those measured in the river (0.68–3.8 µg L−1). Bayesian concentration–response modelling yielded no-effect concentrations (NEC) between 210 and 530 µg L−1. Complementary speciation modelling showed that shifts in Pb speciation occur only at EDTA concentrations near the experimentally derived NEC values. These findings show that current EDTA concentrations in the Innerste are unlikely to remobilize Pb from SPM. The study also provides a statistically supported NEC estimate based on batch experiments using unaltered river water containing its naturally present SPM. To our knowledge, this is the first application of Bayesian NEC modelling to EDTA-induced Pb remobilization.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-026-37480-x.