Science Building at Adelphi University evacuated after nitric acid spill

Firefighters had to evacuate the Science Building at Adelphi University in Garden City on Thursday after an accidental spill of nitric acid, causing five people to be checked for exposure to noxious fumes and one of them to be sent to a hospital, fire officials said.

Garden City firefighters were called for a hazardous materials spill in a fourth-floor laboratory in the Science Building at about 11:45 a.m., according to the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office. In an email, a university spokeswoman said a student dropped a bottle of nitric acid, a chemical she said is commonly used in science labs.

The Nassau County Hazardous Materials Response Team responded to the university and evaluated three students and one security director exposed to the fumes.  All four declined to go to a hospital, said Nassau Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro.

A fifth person, a laboratory health and safety director, was taken to NYU Langone Hospital Long Island to be treated for airway irritation, he said.

The HazMat team worked with the university to ventilate the building, fire officials said. An outside company was called to clean up and dispose of the spilled acid, officials said.

Adelphi officials said the spill caused some classes in the Science Building to be reassigned or canceled. Students were urged to contact their professors for further instructions.

The university said that as of 4:30 p.m. the Science Building was fully reopened.

Access to the nearby Hagedorn Hall of Enterprise was also limited due to firefighters responding to the spill.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.