Dublin Fire Brigade and the Environmental Protection Agency were called out to deal with a container of hazardous material in Dublin on Monday afternoon.
The substance, known as trichlorobenzen, was discovered in Clondalkin in a residential area near Oakwood Avenue, which was closed off to the public as a result.
Speaking to Newstalk, the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) stated that while the chemical has a number of applications, it is mostly used as a resin for the repair and hardening of boat keels, but it is also a respiratory irritant and an environmental hazard.
A member of the public alerted the DFB to the presence of the container in the area at around 11.30 am, at which point they moved to contain and isolate the incident, along with the Environmental Protection Agency and South Dublin County Council.
Earlier we dealt with a discarded chemical in Clondalkin with the help of @sdublincoco & @EPAIreland. Attend an organised event, its safer pic.twitter.com/cBKdfuQKMq
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) October 31, 2016
A specialist team in HAZMAT suits dealt with the container to ensure that "every eventuality was covered," before finishing the operation at approximately 1.30 pm.
DFB stated that one of the lines of inquiry is that the container of trichlorobenzen got mixed in with materials that were set to be used for bonfire, and it was left in the area when it was discovered that it was not needed. However, some of the pallets it was on were contaminated with the substance, while the container itself had also leaked.