By Jessica Bravo
New Haven Register
BERLIN, Conn. — A student and teacher at Berlin High School needed to be transported to the hospital after a science experiment accident Wednesday, an official said.
Firefighters responded to the school on Patterson Way at 10 a.m. after they received reports of a gas leak, Fire Chief Jonn Massirio said, and everyone inside the school promptly was evacuated.
Massirio said it was determined that a faulty tube used in a science lab caused gas to enter the air.
“The experiment utilized nitric acid and copper pennies in a closed loop system to produce nitrogen dioxide, a naturally occurring gas,” Massirio said. “In high concentration, nitrogen dioxide can be a respiratory irritant and cause dizziness, or in extreme cases unconsciousness.”
Firefighters aired out the room and took the experiment outside “to allow the reaction to subside naturally,” Massirio said. He added that the fire department along with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection determined the air quality inside the building was safe before anyone re-entered.
Besides the student and teacher who needed to be hospitalized, Massirio said 14 students were evaluated and released at the scene by first responders.
Massirio said the student and teacher brought to the hospital reported feeling dizzy along with experiencing eye and throat irritation.
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