Smoke From Acid Experiment Sends 20 Students to Hospital at Himeji School

Overview

• A science demonstration in an eighth-grade class at the municipal Shirasagi combined school on Friday, May 29 produced smoke after a teacher used substances including concentrated sulfuric acid.
• Teachers evacuated students to the hallway when the first smoke appeared and later disposed of the experiment materials in a trash bin, which ignited and produced black smoke that students inhaled.
• Emergency services transported 20 students to medical care for symptoms such as sore throat and headache and two were briefly hospitalized, with all cases reported as mild.
• The Himeji City Board of Education has interviewed staff, the board said the disposal method was inappropriate and pledged to tighten safety rules for experiments and for disposal of chemical waste.
• Officials noted the reaction likely involved sugar, potassium chlorate and sulfuric acid producing an unexpected amount of smoke and flame, and families and schools should expect reviews of classroom protocols and teacher training.