A QUANTITY OF an unstable chemical found at a school in Limerick was made safe by the Army Bomb Disposal Team this afternoon.

The Defence Forces deployed the team to St Endas community school on the Kilmallock Road, Limerick City where a quantity of the unstable chemical Picric Acid had been found during a routine audit of chemicals.

Picric Acid is a chemical re-agent and is routinely used in laboratories, however it can crystallise and become unstable and sensitive to heat and shock over time.

The Army Bomb Disposal Team arrived at the school at 1.55pm and the chemicals were removed to a safe location where they were made safe through the use of a controlled explosion. The scene was declared safe at 2.30pm.

Yesterday, a secondary school was evacuated in Co Limerick after the discovery of an unstable chemical called dinitrophenylhydrazine. The substance is a chemical reagent routinely used in labs, but it can crystallise and become unstable over time.

Similarly, the Defence Forces team was called to the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Celbridge, Co Kildare, at the end of last month after unstable Picric Acid was found during a routine audit of chemicals on site.

Today’s incident marks the 18th Substance of Concern dealt with by Army Bomb Disposal Teams so far this year.

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