Around two tons of sulfuric acid flowed from the canal system in Ludwigshafen into the Rhine on Wednesday afternoon. Sulfuric acid is classified as a slightly water-polluting substance.
The chemical can cause severe skin burns and serious eye damage. In November 2021, within a few days, first the herbicide metazachlor and later the chemical hexamethylenediamine flowed into the river. The Environment Ministry of Rhineland-Palatinate has informed Rhine residents as a precautionary measure.