Crosslinking can rigidify and deactivate proteins and other molecules that are critical for normal biological function, such as DNA, and so glutaraldehyde solutions are effective biocides and fixatives.

It is usually employed alone or mixed with formaldehyde[9] as the first of two fixative processes to stabilize specimens such as bacteria, plant material, and human cells.

[16] Glutaraldehyde is also used in the treatment of hyperhidrosis under the control of dermatologists in people who have frequent sweating but do not respond to aluminum chloride.

Glutaraldehyde solution is an effective agent to treat palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis as an alternative to tannic acid and formaldehyde.

[21] There is no strong evidence of carcinogenic activity,[22] However, some occupations that work with this chemical have an increased risk of some cancers.

[22] Glutaraldehyde is produced industrially by the catalytic oxidation of cyclopentene by hydrogen peroxide, which can be achieved in the presence of various tungstic acid-based heteropoly acid catalysts.

[25] Like other dialdehydes, (e.g., glyoxal) and simple aldehydes (e.g., formaldehyde), glutaraldehyde hydrates in aqueous solution, forming gem-diols.

[26][25][7] Monomeric glutaraldehyde polymerizes by aldol condensation and Michael reactions yielding alpha, beta-unsaturated poly-glutaraldehyde and related oligomers.

[28] The aldehyde groups in glutaraldehyde are susceptible to formation of imines by reaction with the amines of lysine and nucleic acids.