Campaign Helps Users Distinguish Glutaraldehyde from Counterfeit Products
Successfully introduced more than 60 years ago, glutaraldehyde is one of Dow Microbial Control’s flagship molecules. This versatile microbiocide offers a host of advantages in applications ranging from high-level disinfection of medical equipment employed in healthcare settings to controlling microbes found in industrial operations such as oilfields and cooling towers to disinfecting poultry and swine facilities.
“During the past few years, formulators have increasingly made and sold products that are supposedly glutaraldehyde-based, but actually contain other ingredients, including formaldehyde and glyoxal,” said Mark Henning, Global General Manager for Dow Microbial Control. “The bottom line is that if your product does not contain genuine glutaraldehyde, you may very likely have a product with a blend of formaldehyde and/or glyoxal and possibly some small amount of glutaraldehyde. Customers could be overpaying by 50 to 200 percent, based on current average market prices for these blended materials. Moreover, there are often environmental, health and safety issues to consider with these blended products, and the personal protective equipment requirements may differ – especially for free formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen.”