Acid made safe in Waterford

An unstable acid was made safe by the Defence Forces at a Waterford laboratory this afternoon.

The army bomb disposal team was called to Lancaster Laboratories in Dungarvan due to concerns over some picric acid.

The team arrived at 3.30pm and removed the chemical to waste ground where they carried out a controlled explosion. The area was declared safe by 4.40pm.

Picric acid is routinely used in labs but over time it can crystallise and become unstable and sensitive to shock or friction.

This was the 205th call out for the bomb disposal team so far this year.