Officials report a case of blood-like sludge flowing from a drain pipe in South Carolina
- Officials wore hazmat suits as they responded to a call of an unknown liquid
- The report came from Gaffney, South Carolina, located in the Upstate region
- READ MORE: Green sludge was seen pouring out of manholes in New York City
Officials recently opened an investigation into a mysterious blood-like sludge leaking from a water drainage pipe in a South Carolina city.
The “unknown fluid” gushed outside a home outside of Gaffney, located in the Upstate region, on February 21 at 11 a.m. ET.
Local firefighters quickly rushed to the scene in hazmat suits and prepared for what could be a toxic spill.
The team tested samples found in the garden and found that the sludge was “a hallmark of hazardous waste.”
Officials recently opened an investigation into a mysterious blood-like ooze leaking from a water drainage pipe in a South Carolina city
Images shared on Facebook showed a river of blood-red liquid flowing from a large pipe, creating a small river under the homeowner’s laws.
Julia Tomlinson, from South Carolina, commented: ‘So what was the chemical? Paint? Blood?’
Cherokee County Emergency Management shared details of the report on Facebook, noting that the team began testing the fluid while firefighters were on their way.
“Our 4-gas monitor and flammable gas monitor were normal, but the PH paper and water paper showed a PH level of approximately 11-12, indicating a strong base in water,” the emergency management group shared on Facebook.
Firefighters dressed in bright yellow hazmat suits arrived on the scene and took a second sample from across the street. They found similar results, meaning the blood-like ooze spread.
The “unknown fluid” gushed outside a home outside of Gaffney, located in the Upstate region, on February 21 at 11 a.m. ET.
Firefighters dressed in bright yellow hazmat suits arrived on the scene and took a second sample from across the street. They found similar results, meaning the blood-like ooze spread.
The results of the samples came back on February 26 and revealed that the liquid was alkaline, acidic and corrosive – “creating a characteristic hazardous waste,” officials said.
The final analysis showed that the blood-like sludge was non-toxic paint.
Non-toxic pain is made with natural raw materials such as water, vegetable oils and resins, vegetable dyes and essential oils.
Fire officials and investigators noted they had located the source, but have not yet released the name of the company responsible for the spill, according to the News Observer.
Although non-toxic paint is more environmentally friendly, US Poison Centers noted that ingesting the substance can cause stomach upset.
The final analysis showed that the blood-like sludge was non-toxic paint. Non-toxic pain is made with natural raw materials such as water, vegetable oils and resins, vegetable dyes and essential oils
Author Mishal Ali Zafar wrote in the blog post, ‘According to the National Capital Poison Center (NCPC), water-based paints can cause vomiting if swallowed in large quantities, and oil-based paints can contain highly toxic solvents.
“National Institutes of Health noted that even if paints are labeled as ‘non-toxic,’ many still contain chemicals such as cadmium or cobalt, which can be harmful if ingested.”
Non-toxic paints contain little or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids.
Fluid results from the South Carolina Fire Department showed no gases were present during testing.