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Baking soda on vests of police

Gianina Schwanecke

Testing of the vests worn by police officers sprayed with a ‘‘stinging substance’’ during the Parliament occupation identified compounds found in sunscreen and baking soda solution but no evidence of chemical damage.

Three officers required medical attention after being sprayed with the unidentified substance on February 22 while being confronted by protesters.

Testing of the material in February and March was ‘‘inconclusive’’, but found no chemical substances that could have caused the burning sensation.

Two new lab reports released yesterday under the Official Information Act found ‘‘no areas of chemical damage were visible’’.

The officers’ Glo Vests were analysed at two separate ESR (Institute of Environmental Science and Research) labs.

One report noted the vest appeared in ‘‘reasonable condition’’ and that there was no evidence of ‘‘burn damage or chemical discolouration consistent in appearance with chemical damage’’.

But this lab found basic pH levels that were consistent with sodium bicarbonate – baking soda – used to treat the officers.

The other report also concluded ‘‘no areas of chemical damage were visible’’.

A piece of fabric from the back of the vest was removed and tested with hydrochloric acid used to see if it would cause damage, resulting in a ‘‘slight discoloration of the fabric’’.

But pieces of fabric from both sides of the neck area were also removed and extracted with ethanol. These extracts were analysed and found to contain three compounds (homosolate, octocrylene, and 2-ethylhexyl salicylate) common in sunscreen.

Pieces that were extracted with water were also tested for pH levels and with chloride strips which found no evidence of chloride.

‘‘In summary the compounds detected are very likely to have come from sunscreen and from the baking soda solution,’’ it concluded.

Neither report concluded what the substance that caused the ‘‘burning sensation’’ likely was.

In a letter accompanying the OIA release, police Superintendent David Greig said the preliminary results showed ‘‘no positive results for any form of chemical substance that is hazardous to health’’.

He said all members were heavily washed down with a water and baking soda solution at the scene, which likely washed away any evidence or form of a chemical substance.

During an informal debrief one of the officers who had a substance spray on them said they had been exposed to OC spray (pepper spray) on many previous occasions but that ‘‘this felt different, not the same as OC spray’’.

University of Canterbury toxicology professor Ian Shaw said while he was not aware of the brief

that ESR had been given, the tests carried out were what he had expected of them, adding they had ‘‘done it very well’’.

‘‘They found a few chemicals on the hi vis vest and they are consistent with sunscreen. There’s a good probability that someone wearing the vest has put on sunscreen at some time and touched their face and touched the vest.’’

He didn’t think sunscreen was what had caused the burning sensation, though it was possible.

‘‘Those chemicals are not particularly dangerous or toxic in any way.’’

Asked if it was a type of acid, he said the chloride tests would have shown if hydrochloric acid or bleach had been used. ‘‘There are lots of acids but getting hold of them is not exactly easy. The most likely thing to throw at them is sulphuric acid [common in car batteries] and that’s the one thing they haven’t checked for.’’

National News

en-nz

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281586654203250

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