1. A chemical process in which a metal ion is bonded to a chelating agent, forming a stable ring-shaped complex.
Usage: chemistry; technical
2. A medical treatment in which chelating agents are administered to remove heavy metals or other harmful substances from the body.
Usage: medicine

Examples

• Chelation is widely used in industrial water treatment to remove metal ions.
• The chemist studied the chelation of iron by organic ligands.
• Chelation therapy has been used to treat lead poisoning in children.
• EDTA chelation is a common method for binding calcium in the bloodstream.
• The stability of the chelation complex depends on the strength of the metal-ligand bonds.