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A canister of compressed gas bursting at a laboratory hospitalized two people and injured one other on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus Tuesday morning.
The accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. in a laboratory at the Biodesign Institute on McAllister Avenue south of University Drive, an ASU spokesperson confirmed in an email to The Arizona Republic.
The spokesperson called the incident a high-pressure release of a cylinder containing chlorine dioxide. It happened while a contractor, Controlled Environment Management, was using a system and a solution to mix chlorine gas and nitrogen gas with a proprietary chemical to create chlorine dioxide, according to ASU.
Three contractors were injured in the blast, he said, two of whom were taken to the hospital for treatment with a combination of cuts and burn injuries from the chemicals, according to ASU.
In high concentrations, chlorine dioxide can be highly flammable and explosive. The compound is commonly used as a bleach.ASU said the chlorine dioxide gas is used to decontaminate and sterilize surfaces and equipment.
ASU Police and Tempe Fire Medical Rescue responded to the incident and evacuated the floor of the building where the lab is located in Building A. The building returned to normal operations by Tuesday afternoon, according to ASU.
The company “has used this process at ASU many times in the past” and it is not yet clear what caused the blast.
The incident is currently under investigation, according to the spokesperson.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or on Twitter @vv1lder.
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