Glutaraldehyde High-Level Disinfectant Occupational Exposure (Endoscope Reprocessing, Occupational Asthma, Contact Dermatitis, OSHA Ceiling Limit) — household safety profile
High riskGlutaraldehyde (GA, 2.0-3.4% aqueous solutions marketed as Cidex, Metricide, and Rapicide) is the most widely used high-level disinfectant for heat-sensitive medical instruments, particularly flexible endoscopes — an estimated 15-18 million endoscopy procedures are performed annually in the United States, each requiring high-level disinfection of the reusable endoscope between patients.
What is this product?
Glutaraldehyde (GA, 2.0-3.4% aqueous solutions marketed as Cidex, Metricide, and Rapicide) is the most widely used high-level disinfectant for heat-sensitive medical instruments, particularly flexible endoscopes — an estimated 15-18 million endoscopy procedures are performed annually in the United States, each requiring high-level disinfection of the reusable endoscope between patients. Healthcare workers performing manual endoscope reprocessing are exposed to glutaraldehyde vapor (OSHA ceiling limit 0.2 ppm) and liquid splash, leading to two primary occupational health effects: respiratory sensitization progressing to occupational asthma (prevalence 2-8% in endoscopy unit workers), and allergic contact dermatitis (prevalence 5-10%). Glutaraldehyde is a potent respiratory and skin sensitizer — once sensitization occurs, workers react to concentrations far below the OSHA limit, often requiring permanent removal from endoscope reprocessing duties. Despite the availability of safer alternatives (ortho-phthalaldehyde/OPA, peracetic acid, automated endoscope reprocessors), glutaraldehyde remains in widespread use due to lower cost, broad antimicrobial spectrum including mycobactericidal activity, and material compatibility with delicate endoscope optics and adhesives.
What's in it
Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.
Aldehyde Class Disinfectant
Frequently asked questions
No FAQs generated.
Look up Glutaraldehyde High-Level Disinfectant Occupational Exposure (Endoscope Reprocessing, Occupational Asthma, Contact Dermatitis, OSHA Ceiling Limit) in the home app
Search by ingredient, browse by category, or compare to alternatives in the live app.
Open in home View raw API dataReference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →