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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Woman treated after pesticide spill

The Spokesman-Review
A woman suffered shortness of breath and was hospitalized Thursday after some of the pesticides she was trying to purchase spilled at an East Sprague store. The Spokane Fire Department called out a hazardous materials team to both contain the spill and decontaminate the woman before she could be transported to an area hospital, Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer said. The call reporting a woman out of breath came in at 4:49 p.m. at the Northwest Seed & Pet, 2422 E. Sprague Ave. But the call escalated when firefighters found the woman, who was in her 30s, lying on the sidewalk in front of the store, Schaeffer said. The pesticide contained organophosphates, which attack the central nervous system and taken in significant doses can be deadly, Schaeffer said. “She was exposed to the product in liquid form and also inhaled it. But the amount was not significant enough to cause permanent damage,” he said.