Just like poison ivy, there are other items in the woods that should not be touched.

According to the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department, there have been incidents involving abandoned containers that hold anhydrous ammonia that were picked up by unknowing walkers in the woods.

Anhydrous ammonia, a common fertilizer used in farming, is a main ingredient for making methamphetamine. Clandestine meth makers steal anhydrous using anything from propane tanks, compressed air tanks, fire extinguishers, even thermoses with screw-top lids.

Det. Bill Dougherty of the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department said twice this spring people have picked up unused anhydrous containers and, because the gas is unstable in the container, the valve blew off. Although there have not been any injuries, one person told Dougherty that the valve from an air tank blew “right by his head.”

“The anhydrous will expand and contract in those tanks,” Dougherty said. “They had been sitting out in the woods for a day or two but he picked it up and the pressure built back up and it blew.”

The victim also got a cloud of anhydrous in his face, causing him to lose his breath. No other injuries were reported.

Dougherty also said valves and fittings used by meth makers deteriorate over time, leaving a volatile situation if someone does pick it up. He mentioned one copper valve that after a foot drop, broke into several pieces because of its exposure to anhydrous ammonia.

“We’ve always heard about how anhydrous ammonia will corrode these valves and we’d never seen it,” Dougherty said. “Until (Tuesday) night and we saw two of them.”

According to the National Ag Safety Database, run by the federal Centers for Disease Control, anhydrous ammonia can cause blindness, lung damage, burns and death.

Dougherty said because anhydrous ammonia contains no water and the gas comes out of the tank at -28 degrees, skin will freeze burn on contact.

“Clothing that is hit with it can be frozen to your skin,” Dougherty said. “When it is released into the air, it can shoot 10 to 20 feet.”

If one comes into contact with something that could have been used for anhydrous, such as an air pump or even a fire extinguisher, that person should not pick it up. The jostling will cause the gas to expand.

“Do not pick them up and contact the Sheriff’s Department,” Dougherty said. “We’ve got a couple guys here who are trained and certified (for taking down clandestine labs).

“Leave them alone, let us know where they are we will come take care of them,” Dougherty said.

But according to the CDC, if you are exposed to a small anhydrous burn put water on the area, leave the wound exposed and to seek medical attention.