Four members of the Yale School of Medicine who became ill at a campus building last month had likely ingested sodium azide, a substance commonly found in laboratories and used as a preservative, according to the university.

Sodium azide can cause dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing and rapid heart rate, the university said in a news release Tuesday.

Four people became sick at 333 Cedar St. on Feb. 28 after drinking from a single-serve, pod-style coffee machine, the release said. That prompted the involvement of the State Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, which handles hazardous materials.

While independent testing of items removed from the area indicated the presence of sodium azide, Yale Police Department is continuing its investigation in collaboration with local, state and federal law enforcement.

The School of Medicine members were monitored at Yale-New Haven Hospital and have all returned to work, the university said.

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Yale School Of Medicine Members Likely Sickened By Chemical, University Says - Hartford Courant