The development of a scavenger, which has a function of selective uptake of heavy metal ions from an aqueous solution with a high concentration, has been attempted by coupling Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (Mg-Al LDH) with ethylenediaminetetraacetate (edta) anion. edta.Mg-Al LDH that had an edta anion intercalated in the interlayer of Mg-Al LDH, could be synthesized by adding a solution of Mg(NO3)(2) and Al(NO3)(3) to a solution of NaOH and edta-2Na (disodium dihydrogen edta dihydrate). The effect of the NaOH concentration in the solution on the formation of edta.Mg-Al LDH was examined to control the chemical species of the edta anion incorporated in the interlayer. The synthesized edta.Mg-Al LDH was found to have a capacity for rapid uptake of Cu2+ and Cd2+ from an aqueous solution at the constant pH of 5.0. This capacity is attributed to the formation of the edta-metal complex in the interlayer of edta.Mg-Al LDH. This paper reports that the concentration of Cu2+ decreased from 64 mg/l to less than the effluent standards in Japan (3 mg/1) due to the edta.M-Al LDH in a short span of 10 min. Furthermore, the concentration of Cd2+ decreased from 112 mg/l to less than I mg/1 within 15 min. The Cu2+ was observed to be preferentially uptaken from a Cu-Cd mixed chloride solution by the edta.Mg-Al LDH at the pH of 5.0. The function of edta anions as chelating agents is considered to be adequately active in the interlayer of edta.Mg-Al LDH. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.