NOTE 1 The substances EDDHA and EDDHMA exist as several different isomeric forms. Positional isomers for the hydroxyl or methyl groups (in ortho, meta, and para positions) as well as stereo isomers (meso and dl-racemic forms) are known. Both meso and dl-racemic forms of the [ortho,ortho] EDDHA and [ortho,ortho]. Since para, meta and ortho methyl positional isomers of the EDDHMA present quite similar stability, they could be grouped: in the method here described the para, meta and ortho methyl positional isomers of the [o,o] EDDHMA are considered together. HBED (N,N'-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)-ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid) does not present isomeric forms.
NOTE 2 At present, analytically pure standards only exist for [ortho,ortho] EDDHA, [ortho,ortho] EDDHMA and HBED. All other substances being unavailable as a standard, the influence of their eventual presence in the samples (with respect to the sensitivity and the selectivity of this method) has not been studied.
NOTE 3 The meso and the dl-racemic forms of [o,o] EDDHA and [o,o] EDDHMA can be determined separately by this method.
CEN/TS XXX