Cleaning Acid Sends 2 Lambertville Garbage Collectors To The Hospital

LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. — Two Lambertville City garbage collectors were taken to the hospital Tuesday morning after they came in contact with peracetic acid, a strong oxidizing agent used as a sanitizer, disinfectant, and sterilant.

The incident happened at 9:45 a.m. when the city employees were collecting garbage at the Lambertville Municipal Utilities Authority and came in contact with the cleaning agent.

The employees were taken to Cedar Crest at Lehigh Network in Allentown for evaluation and treatment, the city said.

As a precaution, the Hazardous Materials Unit of the County of Hunterdon was dispatched to the area to contain and dispose of the substance.

In a Facebook posting, the city called the incident "isolated" and said there is no immediate danger to the public. The matter is under investigation by the Lambertville Police Department.