Removal of heavy metals from solutions containing a powerful chelator EDTA and the separation of heavy metals from this anionic ligand are important for the efficient treatment of waste water and for recovery and reuse of heavy metals. The optimum working conditions of acrylamide sorbents having oligo(ethyleneamine) moieties for uptake of chelated heavy metals (i.e. molar ratio (EDTA:Me)(solution), sorption kinetics and solution flow-rate, concentration of heavy metal and pH value in the loading solution, presence of Mg2+ or Ca2+ cations), for resin regeneration and for separation of EDTA were investigated. Development resins having OEA moieties and some commercially available exchangers were studied and compared for this application.