Glutaraldehyde Hazards
Potential Exposure
In addition to being used as a disinfectant, glutaraldehyde is also used as a tissue fixative in histology and pathology labs, as well as a hardening agent in x-ray development.
Glutaraldehyde is used as a hardening agent in the development of x-rays.
Healthcare workers potentially exposed to glutaraldehyde include:
- hospital staff who work in areas with a cold sterilizing procedure that uses glutaraldehyde (for example, gastroenterology and cardiology departments)
- hospital staff who work in operating rooms, dialysis departments, endoscopy units, and intensive care units where glutaraldehyde formulations are used in infection control procedures
- central service (supply) workers who use glutaraldehyde as a sterilant
- research technicians, researchers, and pharmacy personnel who either prepare the alkaline solutions or fix tissues in histology and pathology labs
- laboratory technicians who sterilize benchtops with glutaraldehyde solutions
- workers who develop x-rays
How Exposure Occurs
Workers can be exposed to glutaraldehyde through inhalation or skin contact during the following procedures:
- cold sterilization of instruments in endoscopy and surgical units
- when glutaraldehyde solution is poured into or out of the sterilizing pans
- when sterilized equipment is removed from the sterilizing pans
- disinfection of histology/pathology laboratory tabletops
- mixing and activation of various glutaraldehyde solutions
- tissue fixation in histology labs
- development of x-rays
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1-1. How can healthcare workers be exposed to glutaraldehyde?
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