Glutaraldehyde in New Jersey Health Care Facilities

Details

• Alternative Title:
  New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services: Occupational Health Surveillance Update: February 2001: Glutaraldehyde in New Jersey Health Care Facilities
• Personal Author:
  Schill D
• Description:
  Glutaraldehyde is a chemical used extensively for the cold sterilization of medical, surgical, and dental equipment. It is used in health care facilities primarily for sterilizing endoscopy instruments, as well as respiratory therapy, ultrasound, and dialysis equipment. Glutaraldehyde is also used as a biocide in building cooling towers and air-conditioning units, as a tissue fixative in histochemistry and electron microscopy, and as a constituent of embalming fluids and X-ray developers. To be effective as a cold sterilant, glutaraldehyde must be activated by buffering it to an alkaline solution prior to use, typically at a concentration of 2%. Some of the sterilant products that contain glutaraldehyde include Cidex, Metricide, Wavicide, Procide, Omnicide, Sonacide, Aldesen, and Hospex. Glutaraldehyde is a strong irritant to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Contact with solution can cause skin sensitization, leading to allergic contact dermatitis. Vapor inhalation has been strongly implicated as a possible cause of occupational asthma. Glutaraldehyde can also aggravate pre-existing asthma and inflammatory or fibrotic lung disease. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Chemistry Dermatitis Inhalation Exposure Irritants Lung Lung Diseases Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Skin Solvents

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• Keywords:
  Biocides Chemical-composition Chemical-properties Exposure-levels Inhalants Lung-disease Lung-irritants Pulmonary-function Pulmonary-system Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiratory-irritants Respiratory-system-disorders Risk-factors Skin-irritants Vapors

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• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Newsletter
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1, 10
• Volume:
  2001
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20043670
• Citation:
  Occupational Health Surveillance Update 2001 Feb; :1,10-11
• Email:
  dschill@doh.state.nj.us
• CAS Registry Number:
  Glutaraldehyde (CAS RN 111-30-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2001
• Performing Organization:
  New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  19920930
• End Date:
  20060929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d9de0731daa404780a09b8889a46038166f3307a7e6e3b54cd4b04f0053c031e4a1e5630dfa8febfb41de1a638adaf12bb678b803bc2452cda3ea94b3f234ac3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/195506/cdc_195506_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 509.96 KB ]