Expert Disputes Harvard's Claim Poisoning May Be Accidental

Debate rages over the poisoning incident that occurred at Harvard University Medical School in August. The university insists that the cause remains unknown. However, independent experts insist it was intentional.

On August 26, 2009 six scientists and students consumed sodium azide and became ill. The source of the toxic chemical was traced to a coffee machine outside the pathology lab they all worked in, in the New Research Building (NRB) in Boston's Longwood Medical area. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Boston Public Health Commission are investigating. The six became dizzy and one person passed out. All six were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for treatment. Five were treated and released while the individual who became unconscious was kept overnight for observation before being released. None of those affected are expected to suffer long term consequences. However, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website dizziness and low blood pressure are indicative of “exposure to a large amount of sodium azide.” Although the incident occurred two months ago the medical school was reluctant to deal with the issue publicly. On Friday October 23, 2009 an internal memo was circulated. It was signed by Daniel G Ennis, Executive Dean for Administration and Richard M Shea, Associate Dean for Physical Planning and Facilities. The memo asserts that “we do not yet know how this incident occurred.” It continues that despite this uncertainty security measures are being enhanced throughout the facility. Notably, “we are in the process of installing additional security cameras throughout our buildings, and we are strengthening security systems that manage access to the laboratories during both normal business hours and off hours.” Today, however, The Boston Herald reports that experts do not believe it could possibly have been an accident. David M. Benjamin, a toxicologist and Chestnut Hill-based clinical pharmacologist repeatedly described an accident as an impossibility. “An accident? Sodium azide is a poison. Absolutely not....Could it have gotten in the coffee machine inadvertently? Absolutely not.” There is a frightening precedent for this situation. A decade ago an internist at a Kyoto , Japan hospital was found guilty of having laced the green tea of seven colleagues with sodium azide.