Unstable chemical removed from school

An unstable chemical was made safe at a Co Wicklow school by the Army bomb disposal team today.

An unstable chemical was made safe at a Co Wicklow school by the Army bomb disposal team today.

The explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team was called by gardaí after a quantity of dinitrophenylhydrazine was found at Glendalough East secondary school.

The unstable substance was discovered during a routine audit of chemicals the school laboratory.

The EOD team arrived at the school by 4.20pm and removed the chemical to waste ground where they carried out a controlled explosion.

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The Defence Forces declared the scene safe at 5.40pm.

Chemical re-agent dinitrophenylhydrazine is routinely used in laboratories but can become unstable overtime.

The EOD team has undertaken more than 120 callouts so far this year, to deal with problems such as improvised explosive devices, old artillery shells discovered and suspect devices found to be hoaxes.

Genevieve Carbery

Genevieve Carbery

Genevieve Carbery is Deputy Head of Audience at The Irish Times