A postdoc reported yesterday afternoon that a hazardous substance had unintentionally been created in a laboratory in Helix, the TU/e building that houses the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. The substance was identified as paraoxon, a highly toxic organophosphate compound.

112

As a precaution, the in-house emergency response team alerted 112, after which regional emergency services arrived on the scene, according to TU/e.

The person who reported the incident was examined by the municipal health service (GGD) for medical symptoms and was found to be in good health. As an additional precaution, all seventeen people who had been in the lab earlier that day were also checked. They were all found to be unharmed.

Lessons

The fire department cleared the lab, removing both the container with the substance and all materials that may have come into contact with it. Work in the lab was able to resume today.

TU/e says it will investigate exactly what happened and what lessons can be learned from the incident.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.