Glutaraldehyde is a powerful disinfectant and sterilizing agent. It's a colorless, oily liquid with a pungent odor that is used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Disinfectant: Used to clean and disinfect heat-sensitive equipment in medical facilities, such as surgical instruments, endoscopes, and dialysis instruments
- Tissue fixative: Used in histology and pathology labs
- Hardening agent: Used in the development of x-rays
- Industrial cleaning: Used in industrial cleaning supplies, oil and gas recovery, wastewater treatment, and more
- Pesticide: Used as a pesticide
- Embalming fluid: Used in embalming fluid
- Leather tanning: Used in leather tanning