CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — The chemical found in a waterway resulting from a leak in an HVAC unit at the Chesterfield County Jail was a mixture of a leak-detection dye, a rust inhibitor and propylene glycol according to the Chesterfield County Department of Environmental Engineering.
The agency says that propylene glycol is consumed by humans and animals as an FDA-approved additive to foods and beverages and is not the same as ethylene glycol, which is the chemical associated with antifreeze.
More than 20,000 gallons of contaminated water was collected by an environmental cleanup company during clean-up efforts.
The agency released the following statement:
“People may continue to see a bright green dye in the water. This dye is not antifreeze and is not associated with the dangers of antifreeze. There has been no adverse environmental effect and no aquatic toxicity to the contaminated area.”
