What to look for if you were exposed to Tucson's nitric acid spill

On Tuesday at about 2:45 p.m., a commercial truck hauling liquid nitric acid in a box trailer rolled over on Interstate 10 near Kolb Road. The driver was killed in the crash.

Tucson officials said the hazardous spill should be cleared by Wednesday evening. 

According to a news release from the health department, concentrated nitric acid, also called fuming red nitric acid, releases nitrogen dioxide.

Nitrogen dioxide is a slightly irritant gas that can cause delayed lung complications to those who had prolonged exposure to it, the news release said.

Those who may have been in contact with the gas for more than 15 minutes are advised to assess themselves and seek medical help if they have symptoms. Symptoms include respiratory difficulties, wheezing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and exacerbations of COPD and asthma.

If exposed, individuals may have delayed symptoms, up to 12-24 hours later.

The health department said those who lived within a mile of the exposure and sheltered in place but were using air exchange that pulled in outside air may have met this threshold.

Those who drove through or past the accident are likely to be OK, the news release said.

For more information on what to do if you were exposed, visit the health department’s website.