NEW HAVEN >> Sodium azide, a substance commonly found in laboratories and used as a preservative, may have been the cause of four people falling ill at the Yale School of Medicine in February, officials said.

Four members of the Yale School of Medicine community became ill after drinking from a single-service, pod-style coffee machine Feb. 28 at the 333 Cedar St. facility.

They were monitored at Yale New Haven Hospital, but all four have since returned to work, Yale spokeswoman Karen Peart said Tuesday.

Yale Police, the New Haven Fire Department, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Yale Environmental Health and Safety team responded and initiated an investigation.

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On Tuesday, officials learned that an independent laboratory test on items removed from the area indicated the presence of sodium azide, Peart said. The potentially deadly chemical is commonly found in air bags, farming and hospital laboratories, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. It is odorless as a solid, but when mixed with water or an acid, sodium azide changes rapidly to a toxic gas, according to the CDC.

The single-serve coffee machine was not connected to a water source and the area was evaluated and declared to be safe by Yale Environmental Health and Safety, Peart said Tuesday. The Yale Police Department is continuing its investigation in collaboration with local, state and federal law enforcement.

At the same time, staff are reviewing security and safety procedures with its public safety team, Peart said.

Out of an abundance of caution, we have let the Yale School of Medicine community know that the symptoms of exposure to sodium azide are dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing and rapid heart rate, she said. Weve let the School of Medicine community know that if they experience these symptoms, they should contact Yale Health Acute Care. Weve also asked that anyone with any information regarding this incident to please contact Yale Police.

Robert J. Alpern, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine, has shared this update with those who were affected, as well as members of the School of Medicine community, Peart said.

Gathering complete information will take some time, she said. As always, the safety and security of the Yale community is our utmost priority.

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Sodium azide may have caused illness at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, officials say - New Haven Register