Eleven people were taken to hospital after being overcome with acid fumes at a Fife landfill site.
Nine contractors and two paramedics were affected after inhaling nitric acid which was spilled at the Lochhead site in Dunfermline on Tuesday.
Two of the contractors working at the tip, which also includes a public recycling centre, were rushed by ambulance to the nearby Queen Margaret Hospital, where they were treated for the effects of inhalation.
The other seven, along with the paramedics called to help the afflicted workers, were also exposed to fumes and were taken as non-urgent cases to the same hospital for checks. No members of the public were affected.
A full-scale operation involving all of the emergency services swung into action following the incident, which is believed to have been sparked after a five-litre container with just one litre of the toxic chemical was dropped during a delivery to the site.
The tip was closed and the surrounding area evacuated as a precaution after the incident at 11am.
Part of the site was reopened around four hours later but the public recycling centre will remain shut until a full decontamination has been carried out.
Specialist cleaning company Braemar Howells is working with Fife Fire and Rescue Service to ensure all traces of nitric acid are eradicated before the public are allowed to return. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed and is investigating.
Executive director with Fife Council’s corporate services Michael Enston said: ”No members of the public have been injured during this incident and all the emergency services have been present.
”The landfill site was closed and the area evacuated as a precaution, with all landfill operations suspended.
”Lochhead has now reopened but the materials recovery facility remains closed until decontamination procedures have been completed.
”Investigations into the incident will be carried out over the next few days.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said the 11 casualties had suffered various degrees of inhalation but only two were treated as emergencies. The other nine, including the affected paramedics, were described as walking wounded.
Nitric acid is a cleaning product widely used in the food and drinks industry, and is highly corrosive and toxic. It can release noxious gas if it comes into contact with water. It is thought it was being delivered to Lochhead to be disposed of.
Following the spill the fire service immediately sent two appliances from Dunfermline, along with a further two and an emergency support unit from Methil which are called to any incident involving chemicals.