Pretoria - The Tshwane Fresh Produce Market, in the west of Pretoria, re-opened for business on Thursday, following a spillage of sulphuric acid from a truck on Tuesday.
The acid has been cleaned up by the Tshwane Fire Brigade Services and, together with the Agriculture and Environmental Management Department, it has declared the area safe.
The market was closed to ensure cars and pedestrians did not step on the acid residue on the piece of road affected or walk into the market and so that there was no inhalation of the gasses from the acid which can have an irritating affect.
"The city would like to dispel rumours about the possibility of the produce having to be destroyed as a result of gasses from the spill," says City of Tshwane spokesperson Console Tleane. He said in fact the acid spill had not affected the produce at all.
Sulphuric acid only becomes irritating and sometimes harmful when it comes into physical contact on the skin and other surfaces, and not through the gasses.
