Skin and respiratory symptoms from exposure to alkaline glutaraldehyde in medical services.

The prevalence of certain symptoms (eye, skin and airway symptoms, headache, nausea, and fatigue) were studied among hospital workers with and without exposure to glutaraldehyde during cold sterilization work. The exposure to glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde was quantified by hygienic measurements in the breathing zone of the workers. Aldehydes were measured by a specific method, using sorbent tubes with Amberlite XAD-2 coated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNF) and analyzed by liquid chromatography. The exposure measurements revealed that the present exposure to glutaraldehyde was intermittent and well below the Swedish occupational exposure limit. In spite of this low exposure, the exposed group exhibited a significantly increased frequency of skin and airway symptoms, as well as headache, in comparison with the unexposed group. A dose-response relationship between the frequency of exposure and the number of symptoms could also be demonstrated. No case of contact allergy to glutaraldehyde was found.