Science Interactive Group school laboratory chemicals

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. Seen by a doctor or nurse

   Made Oct 12, 2023 · , sent to the company Oct 16, 2023 · , published by CPSC Nov 6, 2023

   The product, in the report: Chemistry lab kit for an online college chemistry class. Shipped and stored in a cardboard box with flaps that close the box. There was lab equipment along with liquid and solid chemicals that were stored in separate plastic bags pertaining to each experiment. There was a material sheet listing the items in the box. No safety data sheets were included in the box.

   I experienced long-term chemical exposure from an unused chemistry lab kit made by Science Interactive. It was stored in its original box in a shared bedroom up on a shelf in the closet. Without my knowledge, the liquid chemicals were evaporating and forming gases, causing me respiratory issues for months starting around February 2023. I had it for a year and a half when the respiratory issues started because of the kit. I experienced coughing if I had been near where the kit was stored, such as sitting at my desk, and I would also get a burning sensation in my lungs. During these months the burning feeling would last around half an hour after leaving the area and would become a lighter irritation after more time passed. I noticed that the symptoms would only start when I was in my room around that area. Not knowing the cause, I got an air purifier for the desk, which didn’t help. I also searched for mold, and I contacted a testing company. I suspected a chemical was causing the symptoms, but I didn’t suspect the kit at that point because nothing inside had been opened. I was concerned and tried to avoid the area while also trying to figure out the cause. I then started to clean out the room. In May I emailed Science Interactive asking how to dispose of the unused lab kit.

   On May 31st I opened the box and saw that the chemicals had been evaporating because there was little liquid in the bottles. I was scared but quickly took a few pictures to show a professor and then closed the box. Minutes later I started coughing and experiencing the familiar burning sensation, so I then knew this was what had been causing my respiratory issues. I messaged a professor and brought the kit to campus with the help of her instructions. Even after removing it, I continued to experience the burning sensation for many days. I emailed Science Interactive explaining the situation and asked to speak with someone about their product’s safety or a chemistry expert. There were so many liquid chemicals in the kit that I was concerned not knowing what harmful chemicals could be formed with them evaporating and reacting with each other. The representative ignored my request and just said to dispose of the kit “to prevent further discomfort.” This situation has been extremely upsetting. Science Interactive must disclose the possible gases that could be formed from the storage of the chemicals in their kit so that I know what health effects could result and can inform healthcare professionals.

   Because there were no instructions for storage of the kit, I had asked the professor when I dropped the class if the unused kit could be kept longer. I originally intended to retake the class, and he told me it should be fine to still have it for if I was going to retake the class at a later semester. When I also asked again about it this year the professor said that similar bottles of chemicals were stored in the school lab for many semesters without problems and that the chemicals don’t ordinarily age. I don’t know if he could have anticipated that the chemicals weren’t sealed well, but I wouldn’t have brought it into my home around me and my family if I had known. It was kept around room temperature, but it wasn’t a strictly controlled environment, and there were no warnings that it needed to be. I’m very worried about what health effects this could have. After opening the kit and experiencing the burning sensation for days, I since have started having reoccurring acid reflux, something I didn’t have before, along with increased lung sensitivity. I also have a hard swollen lymph node for months that I didn’t have before. Representatives from both Science Interactive and the college didn’t address my concerns, ignoring many of my questions or giving vague responses. This was difficult to write about because it’s such a shocking situation that has left me very shaken. I submitted a report in August when I found this site, but I asked to be able to rewrite it because I didn’t submit it properly.

   UPDATED ON 8/12/2024: [To update, this whole event has caused a lot of trauma and the lack of any kind of explanation or help has left me despondent. I have blamed myself for not taking more pictures of the contents of the box even though the kit was actively causing my lungs to burn, so my instinct was not to get closer and look at it more but to keep it away from myself and others. - The comment made by Science Interactive is false. I did have chemical exposure from the kit, and removing the kit stopped the burning lungs sensation and coughing. I was able to sit at the desk in the room again with no symptoms whatsoever after removing the kit. My symptoms improving after removing the kit from the area is detailed in medical records and also emails and texts with professors. I can provide these records. - TO BE CLEAR, I did NOT see every item in the kit as I very hastily took a picture of the material list, one of the bags of chemicals, and closed the lid again and then began to experience the burning and coughing minutes later. The mention by the manufacturer of “staining” in the box that I did not report is not something I can say was or wasn’t there as I did not see everything in the box. Many items were covering each other, and I opened and closed the box as fast as I could. If something other than only just the chemicals themselves was involved, for example, the fuel burner or other item in the box, I completely admit I did not look at other items, as I was terrified and breathing the gas inside proved harmful because my lungs soon started burning after opening the box. I was in a state of panic. My instinct was not to go back to the box and look at everything when it was making my lungs burn. The fact that I did not look at each item is not proof that this did not happen. It did happen. I WISH it didn’t. I thought at the time that the college or professors would do an investigation of the kit. In the moment, I was scared and trusting the professor to tell me exactly what to do and initially she said to throw the kit in the garbage, which didn’t sound safe to me to put something actively giving off an unknown gas into the garbage that another person might pass by, so I asked if I could bring it to the college. She said to put it in a bag, so I did. She wasn’t present at the campus, but I did as instructed and took it where she told me to. - I have notified a total of two Chemistry professors about the long-term chemical exposure I experienced. Neither professor provided an explanation about what thing or things in the kit could have been the cause, even though I asked repeatedly. I also asked if the kit was investigated after I dropped it off at the school. This question was also ignored. - I emailed the school board about what happened because the professors didn’t provide me with any explanation. I thought the school would investigate, but the board did not respond to me at all. I said I didn’t want to be ignored, and they ignored me. - The Consumer Product Safety Commission also has not contacted me further. - I took measurements of where the kit was on the shelf, how high off the ground, and measurements in relation to the desk I would sit at when I would start coughing, lungs burning. The kit was stored nearly 7 feet off the ground, and the gas was still reaching me despite that height. I have photos of the measurements and the room this was happening in. Measurements: * The box was stored on the highest shelf in the closet, 6 feet and 11 inches off the ground. * The chair I would sit at was around 5 feet and 6 inches over from where the box was stored. * The height of the chair was around 3 feet and five inches from the ground. My head would be about a foot above this.

   I mentioned I found swollen lymph nodes following this prolonged exposure. One of them in particular is the most noticeable to me because it hurts daily from just everyday movements. The company’s side comments about how long the kit was kept being “unusual” has no relevance to my report as there were NO instructions about the length of time it was safe to store. NONE. Not with the kit, not on their website. No student should experience chemical exposure due to your lack of proper instructions. I had dropped the class. Students drop classes all the time. I would not have kept it had there been anything detailing how long it was safe to keep. No student deserves to go through this. As for the comments that are outright lies, I will submit evidence to have them corrected or removed. The lesson on lab safety they keep mentioning also has no relevance. The box was stored, not used. The mention of lack of MSDS in my original report is to illustrate how carelessly this kit has been put together, but the fact that it was producing a gas that was causing me to cough and lungs to burn illustrates that well enough. Their comment that I did not state that the product caused issues in my emails is a lie. I will provide the emails to the CPSC.]

   Bought from

   https://books.morainevalley.edu/

   Where

   Illinois: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Unspecified

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   made or sold by Science Interactive Group

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources