5 Hurt from Exposure to Nitric Acid Cloud
Five people in Westminster were hospitalized with respiratory problems Thursday after being overcome by a cloud of nitric acid, authorities said.
The fumes were created by a merchant trying to extract silver from ore by mixing nitric acid and another chemical, said Capt. Kirk Summers of the Orange County Fire Authority. The incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. in the 7600 block of Garden Grove Boulevard.
Four men and a woman were treated for headaches and shortness of breath and released from West Anaheim Medical Center, Summers said.
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