Powder substance found on cash deposit at Bluffton bank under investigation

Members of the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office bomb squad were called to a Bluffton bank Monday after two employees reported coming into contact with a powder substance while handling a cash deposit, according to a report from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

Both employees reported suffering skin irritation and headaches after handling money covered in the white powdery substance two days earlier, the report said. After contacting the bank's corporate offices over concerns about putting the money back into circulation, they were advised to file a report with law enforcement, the report said.

Hazmat teams from two local fire departments and two members of the Sheriff's Office bomb squad were called in to assist in the removal and investigation of the suspicious substance, the report said.

The substance was cleared by the hazmat team and cleared for explosives by the bomb squad, but it is still unclear what the substance is, Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Bob Bromage said. The cause of the skin irritation and headaches the two employees suffered has not been linked to the suspicious substance, he said.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Powder substance found on cash deposit at Bluffton bank under investigation."