Two police officers and two employees of a trucking company in South Plainfield were brought to an area hospital as a precaution after a container believed to be filled with nitric acid was found leaking and smoking on Wednesday, authorities said.
Various state, county and local officials responded to Jimmy’s Trucking on South Avenue when the spill from a trailer was found around 6:45 p.m., South Plainfield police said.
The business was evacuated, and area residents were told to stay inside. The spill was confined to a small area of the parking lot, officials said.
Authorities are still investigating what caused the spill. Police couldn’t immediately be reached for an update on the four people who went to the hospital.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says nitric acid is a colorless liquid with yellow or red fumes. It has an unpleasant odor and is highly corrosive. Exposure to it can lead to irritation to the eyes, skin and mucous membrane.
“It can also cause delayed pulmonary edema, pneumonitis, bronchitis, and dental erosion,” according to the CDC.
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