SODIUM AZIDE, COFFEE - USA: (MASSACHUSETTS)
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[1]
Da te: Sun 25 Oct 2009
Source: Boston Herald [edited]
<http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1207102 >


Poisoning at Harvard: 6 lab workers sickened by coffee
------------------------------------------------------
Harvar d University Medical School is locking down its New Research 
Building, installing new surveillance cameras and imposing tighter 
security after researchers in the pathology department of the Boston 
building drank poisoned coffee and were hospitalized.

The 6 victims -- a group of scientists and students at Harvard 
Medical School -- used a communal, single-serve coffee machine on the 
8th floor near their pathology lab 26 Aug 2009, according to an 
internal memo. Seconds later all 6 reported symptoms such as 
dizziness and low blood pressure. One victim's ears were ringing and 
another passed out.

All 6 were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where they 
were treated and released. One was held overnight for observation. 
The coffee maker was removed for testing, a Harvard spokesman told 
the Herald.

Harvard University Police, as well as Boston police and fire units, 
responded to the poisoning, and immediate testing by hazardous 
material crews found no traces of poison. But a later test revealed 
that the presence of sodium azide, a common preservative used in 
labs, is what sickened the researchers, an internal Harvard memo 
released Friday [23 Oct 2009] reads.

Sodium azide is listed as a 'potentially deadly chemical that exists 
as an odorless white solid' by the federal government.

"While we do not yet know how the incident occurred, we have recently 
learned that sodium azide ... was present in the coffee consumed by 
the 6 employees," the Friday memo [23 Oct 2009] reads. "As the 
investigation continues, we are being prudent and taking additional 
precautionary measures to ensure the well-being of our community."

One of the victims, contacted and their identity confirmed by the 
Herald, said they were told by the university not to speak about the 
incident. Privately, however, they said they do not feel it was an 
accident, though they could not say why someone would target that 
group.

The researchers all work in the Harvard Medical School's pathology 
department using mice to investigate how diseases interact with the 
immune system.

Harvard spokesman David Cameron refused to discuss the poisoning, but 
said no student or employee has been disciplined. The Suffolk 
District Attorney's Office said it was not aware of the incident, and 
the Boston Police Department is not investigating.

According to the internal memo, the investigation includes the 
federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as the 
Boston Public Health Commission. The Health Commission told the 
Herald they were called by Harvard to discuss best practices and 
policy looking ahead.

The memo, written by Daniel G Ennis, executive dean for 
administration, and Richard M Shea, associate dean for physical 
planning and facilities, does not say whether the poisoning was 
accidental or intentional. But the university drafted a tough new 
security plan to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"We are in the process of installing additional security cameras 
throughout our buildings, and we are strengthening the security 
systems that manage access to the laboratories during both normal 
business hours and off hours," the memo states.

[Byline: Adam Smith, O'Ryan Johnson]

--
Communicated by:
Greg Koblentz
<gkoblentz**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com>

*** ***
[2]
Date: Sun 25 Oct 2009
Source: TheBostonChannel.com [edite d]
<http:// www.thebostonchannel.com/news/21421216/detail.html>


Harv ard tightening security after 6 poisoned
--------------------------------------------
Harvard University Medical School will increase security and install 
new video cameras at its laboratories this week [week of 26 Oct 2009] 
as police work to determine whether 6 people were intentionally 
poisoned at a research building.

The scientists and students fell ill on 26 Aug 2009 after consuming a 
potentially lethal chemical that was present in their coffee, 
according to an internal memo sent to medical school students on 
Friday [23 Oct 2009].

All 6 people had used a single-serve coffee machine near their 
pathology lab at Harvard's New Research Building to prepare the 
coffee, and all later reported dizziness and low blood pressure. 
Testing revealed the presence of sodium azide, a common preservative, 
in the coffee, the memo said. Sodium azide is an odorless white 
solid, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

One person became unconscious. All 6 were taken to Beth Israel 
Deaconess Medical Center for treatment. None suffered long-term 
consequences from the poisoning. The university said it does not know 
if the poisoning was deliberate or accidental. "While we do not yet 
know how the incident occurred, we have recently learned that sodium 
azide ... was present in the coffee consumed by the 6 employees," the 
memo reads.

Many workers and students who frequent the building said they had not 
yet heard about the incident. "I'm actually kind of surprised," one 
said.

Swallowing the chemical can cause rapid breathing, dizziness, and 
nausea, according to the CDC.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the 
Boston Public Health Commission are investigating.

"We are in the process of installing additional security cameras 
throughout our buildings, and we are strengthening the security 
systems that manage access to the laboratories during both normal 
business hours and off hours," the Harvard memo said.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed**At_Symbol_Here**promedmail.org>

[Sodium azide is a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that 
exists as an odorless white solid. When it is mixed with water or an 
acid, sodium azide changes rapidly to a toxic gas with a pungent 
(sharp) odor. It also changes into a toxic gas when it comes in 
contact with solid metals (for example, when it is poured into a 
drain pipe containing lead or copper). The odor of the gas may not be 
sharp enough, however, to give people sufficient warning of the 
danger.

Sodium azide is best known as the chemical found in automobile 
airbags. An electrical charge triggered by automobile impact causes 
sodium azide to explode and release nitrogen gas inside the airbag.

Sodium azide is used as a chemical preservative in hospitals and 
laboratories. Accidents have occurred in these settings. In one case, 
sodium azide was poured into a drain, where it exploded and the toxic 
gas was inhaled.

Sodium azide is used in agriculture (farming) for pest control. It is 
also used in detonators and other explosives.

Following release of sodium azide into water, exposure could occur 
through drinking the contaminated water or by ingestion of 
contaminate food. Inhalation exposure may occur through dust or gas. 
Contact with skin will also cause symptoms. People exposed to a small 
amount of sodium azide by inhalation, absorption, or consumption may 
have some or all of the following symptoms within minutes: rapid 
breathing, restlessness, dizziness, weakness, headache, nausea and 
vomiting, rapid heart rate, red eyes (gas or dust exposure), clear 
drainage from the nose (gas or dust exposure), cough (gas or dust 
exposure), skin burns and blisters (explosion or direct skin 
contact). Exposure to a large amount of sodium azide by any route may 
cause these other health effects as well: convulsions, low blood 
pressure, slow heart rate, loss of consciousness, lung injury, and 
respiratory failure leading to death. Showing these signs and 
symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to 
sodium azide as other conditions and diseases can produce the same 
clinical signs and symptoms. Survivors of serious sodium azide 
poisoning may have heart and brain damage.

What is more intriguing is that the University successfully kept a 
lid on this exposure on 26 Aug 2009 until now (25 Oct 2009). While 
their caution is to be appreciated, as well as the respect for the 
victims, this same incident could have/may have/ occurred at other 
institutions and they should be aware of such incidents. There are 
communication channels between the various universities in the 
nation, but there may have been other institutions other than 
universities that were not aware of the incident and should have been.

It would be extremely unusual for this product to be in only one 
coffee pot or container of coffee if it were not an intentional 
incident.

Portions of this comment have been extracted from
<http://w ww.bt.cdc.gov/agent/sodiumazide/basics/facts.asp> - Mod.TG]

[The New England state of Massachusetts can be located on the 
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the US at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00XE>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
...................................sb/tg/mj/lm

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