Substance profile
Glutaraldehyde
Glutaraldehyde is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor.
01 · Identification
What Glutaraldehyde is
Glutaraldehyde is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. Its molecular formula is C5H8O2 and its molecular weight is 100.12 g/mol. It boils at 100 °C, melts at -14 °C, is miscible with water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger.
02 · Identifiers
Glutaraldehyde identifiers and molecular data
Glutaraldehyde CAS number and EC number
Glutaraldehyde molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Glutaraldehyde
- glutaral
- Aldesan
- Bactron K 31
- Banicide
- Biomate 743
- Cidex
- Cidex 7
- Cidex-Dialyzer
- Cleancide 275
- Diglutaric Aldehyde
- Floperm 665X1
- Glutaclean
- Glutardialdehyde
- 1,5-pentanedial
03 · GHS classification
Glutaraldehyde hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Glutaraldehyde pictograms and signal word
Glutaraldehyde hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H301 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
| Respiratory sensitisation GHS chapter 3.4 | Category 1 or 1A or 1B | H334 | GHS08 |
| Skin sensitisation GHS chapter 3.4 | Category 1 or 1A or 1B | H317 | GHS07 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure GHS chapter 3.8 | Category 3 | H335 | GHS07 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - acute GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H400 | GHS09 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 2 | H411 | GHS09 |
Where two values are shown with “or”, the hazard statement is shared by more than one category or by more than one class, and the code alone does not say which. H272, for example, belongs to oxidising liquids and to oxidising solids — the physical state decides. The binding answer for a specific entry is in the CLP Annex VI table itself.
Glutaraldehyde hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H301 | Toxic if swallowed. |
| H335 | May cause respiratory irritation. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
| H334 | May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled. |
| H317 | May cause an allergic skin reaction. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H411 | Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
Glutaraldehyde supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH071 | Corrosive to the respiratory tract. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Glutaraldehyde. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Glutaraldehyde
Our own Glutaraldehyde safety data sheet walks through all sixteen sections of the published data. What it is not is the document an inspector asks for: an SDS is issued for a product by its supplier, so the sheet covering the grade actually standing in your store exists only in that supplier’s version. Collecting those and keeping them current as suppliers revise them is a separate job.
04 · Precautionary statements
Glutaraldehyde precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 16 precautionary statements to Glutaraldehyde. They are grouped the way a label groups them: what to do before handling, what to do when something has already happened, how to store it and how to dispose of it.
Prevention
What to do before and during handling so the hazard never happens.
Response
What to do once exposure, spillage or fire has already happened.
Disposal
What has to happen to the contents and the empty container.
Reading the notation. … is a blank the supplier fills in — not a truncated sentence.· [square brackets] mark a part printed only when it applies.
05 · Names in the regulation
Glutaraldehyde name in 23 EU languages
CLP Annex VI Part 3 is published in every language edition of the regulation, and the identification column is written out in each of them. Nothing below is translated by us: each line is the name as that edition prints it. Under Art. 18(2) the substance name from Annex VI is a lawful product identifier, so this is the wording to put on a label going to that market — and where the cell lists several designations, any one of them qualifies.
| Language | Name in CLP Annex VI Part 3 |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian български | глутарал глутаралдехид1,5-пентандиал |
| Spanish español | glutaral glutaraldehído1,5-pentanodial |
| Czech čeština | glutaral glutaraldehyd1,5-pentandial |
| Danish dansk | glutaral glutaraldehyd1,5-pentandial |
| German Deutsch | Glutaral Glutaraldehyd1,5-Pentandial |
| Estonian eesti | glutaraal glutaaraldehüüd1,5-pentaandiaal |
| Greek ελληνικά | γλουταράλη γλουταραλδεΰδη 1,5-πεντανοδιάλη |
| English English | glutaral glutaraldehyde1,5-pentanedial |
| French français | glutaral glutaraldéhydepentane-1,5-dial |
| Croatian hrvatski | glutaral glutaraldehid1,5-pentandial |
| Italian italiano | glutarale glutaraldeide1,5-pentandiale |
| Latvian latviešu | glutarāls glutāraldehīds1,5-pentāndiāls |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | glutaralis glutaraldehidas1,5-pentandialis |
| Hungarian magyar | glutaral glutáraldehid1,5-pentándial |
| Maltese Malti | glutaral glutaraldeid1,5-pentanedial |
| Dutch Nederlands | glutaral glutaaraldehyde1,5-pentanedial |
| Polish polski | glutaral glutaraldehyd pentano-1,5-dial |
| Portuguese português | glutaral glutaraldeído1,5-pentanodial |
| Romanian română | glutaral glutaraldehidă1,5-pentanedial |
| Slovak slovenčina | glutarál glutáraldehydpentándiál |
| Slovenian slovenščina | glutaral glutaraldehid1,5-pentandial |
| Finnish suomi | glutaraali glutaraldehydi1,5-pentaanidiaali |
| Swedish svenska | glutaral glutaraldehyd1,5-pentandial |
All 23 language editions of Annex VI carry this entry. Irish is the twenty-fourth official EU language and has no line here for a different reason: no consolidated CLP text has ever been published in Irish, so there is no Irish edition of Annex VI to quote a name from. Source: consolidated CLP, CELEX 02008R1272, language editions. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic.
06 · Label elements
Glutaraldehyde GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Glutaraldehyde, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Glutaraldehyde
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Toxic if swallowed.
- May cause respiratory irritation.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled.
- May cause an allergic skin reaction.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Corrosive to the respiratory tract.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Avoid breathing dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF INHALED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Rinse mouth.
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
- If skin irritation or rash occurs:
- Collect spillage.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Glutaraldehyde in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Glutaraldehyde health hazards and exposure limits
Glutaraldehyde hazard summary
Glutaraldehyde is a colorless, oily liquid with a sharp, pungent odor. Glutaraldehyde is used for industrial, laboratory, agricultural, medical, and some household purposes, primarily for disinfecting and sterilization of surfaces and equipment. For example, it is used in oil and gas recovery operations and pipelines, waste water treatment, x-ray processing, embalming fluid, leather tanning, paper industry, in fogging and cleaning of poultry houses, and as a chemical intermediate in the production of various materials. It may be used in select goods, such as paint and laundry detergent.
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Glutaraldehyde carcinogenicity classification
Under the conditions of these 2-year inhalation studies, there was no evidence of carcinogenic activity of glutaraldehyde in male or female F344/N rats exposed to 250, 500, or 750 ppb. There was no evidence of carcinogenic activity in male or female B6C3F1 mice exposed to 62.5, 125, or 250 ppb.
Source: US National Toxicology Program · TR-490: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Glutaraldehyde (CASRN 111-30-8) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Inhalation Studies) (1999 )
An IARC group and a CLP classification answer different questions. IARC judges whether the evidence for cancer in humans is strong enough; CLP Annex VI is the legally binding EU classification. A substance can carry one and not the other.
Glutaraldehyde occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | none See Appendix G | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 0.2 ppm (0.8 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | C 0.2 ppm (0.8 mg/m3) See Appendix C (Aldehydes) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | N.D. | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
These are United States values. The European Union sets its own indicative and binding limits, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation — not the one shown here.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Glutaraldehyde properties
Every value is shown with the conditions it was measured under and the source it came from. Where sources disagree, all values are listed rather than one being picked — the difference is usually a different form of the substance, not an error.
Glutaraldehyde boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 100 °C (212 °F) | NIOSH | |
| 101 °C (213.8 °F) | ICSC | ||
| 188 °C (370.4 °F) | range, midpoint shown | HSDB |
Glutaraldehyde melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -14 °C (6.8 °F) | HSDB | |
| -13.89 °C (7 °F) | NIOSH |
Glutaraldehyde density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.72 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 1.1 g/cm³ | NIOSH | ||
| 0.7 g/cm³ | ICSC |
Glutaraldehyde solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Miscible with water | HSDB | |
| Soluble in ethanol, benzene, ether | HSDB | ||
| Miscible with ethanol | HSDB |
Glutaraldehyde vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 17 mmHg | NIOSH | |
| 0.0152 mmHg | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| 17 mmHg | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Glutaraldehyde flash point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash point | 95 °C (203 °F) | above this value | ICSC |
Glutaraldehyde autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | 225 °C (437 °F) | HSDB |
Glutaraldehyde lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Not explosive | HSDB | |
| Noncombustible Liquid | NIOSH |
Glutaraldehyde vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 3.4 (air = 1) | HSDB | |
| 3.5 (air = 1) | ICSC | ||
| 1.05 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Glutaraldehyde odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Odor Threshold Low: 0.04 [ppm] | Haz-Map | |
| [HSDB] Odor threshold from CHEMINFO | Haz-Map |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Glutaraldehyde fire and explosion behaviour
These are descriptions rather than measured values, so they are kept out of the table above and quoted here with the source that reported them.
Glutaraldehyde fire potential
Nonflammable
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Glutaraldehyde storage and handling
Glutaraldehyde reactive group
CAMEO Chemicals places Glutaraldehyde in the reactive groups Aldehydes, Polymerizable Compounds, Water and Aqueous Solutions. Compatibility with other chemicals is worked out from the group, not from the individual substance — which is why two substances you have never seen react can still be flagged as a pair that must be separated.
A reactive group is a CAMEO Chemicals (US NOAA) grouping, not a GHS hazard class: it has no code, no category and no legal force. It is what the storage compatibility matrix on this site computes from.
Glutaraldehyde safe storage
Store only in original container. Well closed. Separated from food and feedstuffs, incompatible materials and amines. Separated from strong oxidizers and strong bases. Keep in a well-ventilated room. Keep in the dark.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Glutaraldehyde storage conditions
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. Recommended storage temperature: -20 °C. Store under inert gas. Air sensitive.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Glutaraldehyde incompatible materials
Incompatible materials: Strong bases, strong oxidizing agents, strong acids.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Glutaraldehyde reactivity
GLUTARALDEHYDE may discolor on exposure to air. It polymerizes on heating. This chemical is incompatible with strong oxidizing agents. It polymerizes in the presence of water. (NTP, 1992)
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Glutaraldehyde in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Glutaraldehyde — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Glutaraldehyde?
The CAS number of Glutaraldehyde is 111-30-8. Its EC number is 203-856-5.
What is the chemical formula of Glutaraldehyde?
The molecular formula of Glutaraldehyde is C5H8O2 and its molecular weight is 100.12 g/mol.
What does a Glutaraldehyde label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Glutaraldehyde carries the pictograms Skull and crossbones, Corrosion, Health hazard and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Glutaraldehyde flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Glutaraldehyde no flammability hazard class. That is not a statement that it cannot burn: the harmonised list only records the hazards that were assessed for it. The flash point reported for it is 95 °C (203 °F), above this value (ICSC).
Is Glutaraldehyde a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Glutaraldehyde. Annex VI is a list of agreed classifications, not a list of substances found safe, so this is an absence of a classification rather than a clean bill of health.
What is the exposure limit for Glutaraldehyde?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Glutaraldehyde is none See Appendix G (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)). Limits differ by country: the EU sets its own indicative and binding values, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation.
What is the boiling point of Glutaraldehyde?
The boiling point reported for Glutaraldehyde is 100 °C (212 °F) (NIOSH).
What is the melting point of Glutaraldehyde?
The melting point reported for Glutaraldehyde is -14 °C (6.8 °F) (HSDB).
How should Glutaraldehyde be stored?
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. Recommended storage temperature: -20 °C. Store under inert gas. Air sensitive. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
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Substances next to Glutaraldehyde
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