The tech needs to sterilize a piece of equipment that cannot be autoclaved or gas sterilized because the equipment contains lenses, metal, and rubber components. What solution should be used to sterilize this piece of equipment?

Formaldehyde or gluteraldehyde.

Explanation:

Some equipment can't be sterilized by physical methods like autoclave because of their safety and sensitivity. Gluteraldehyde and formaldyhyde are used as sterilizing agents and provide long immersion time. These are used to sterilize surgical instruments. Gluteraldehyde have a short shelf life and expensive while formaldehyde have long shelf life and comparatively inexpensive. Both of these are toxic by inhalation or touch.