Widely used as a chelating agent in various industries, it effectively binds to metal ions, preventing unwanted reactions. In the food industry, it helps preserve color and flavor by stabilizing products against metal-catalyzed oxidation. In cosmetics, it enhances the stability and shelf life of formulations by sequestering metal impurities. In medical applications, it is utilized in blood collection tubes to prevent clotting by binding calcium ions. Additionally, it plays a critical role in water treatment processes, where it controls metal ions to prevent scaling and corrosion in industrial systems. Its ability to form stable complexes with metals makes it invaluable in analytical chemistry for metal ion detection and quantification.