The Gustave-Roussy Institute, the leading center for the fight against cancer in Europe, filed a complaint on Monday April 7 for attempted poisoning after the intoxication of three researchers.
The Gustave-Roussy Institute, a large center for the fight against cancer located in Villejuif, in the Val de Marne, announced that it had filed a complaint Monday for attempted poisoning on three of its researchers. The facts go back ten days. Scientists suffered from stomach aches, vomiting and dizziness after drinking coffee made with water heated in a kettle in their break room. Supported by the SAMU and the firefighters, they had to be hospitalized until the evening.
Sodium azide in coffee shops
The analyzes revealed that the kettle contained traces of sodium azide, a toxic chemical substance which is used in particular in the airbags of cars and as a preservative in certain solutions of biological analyzes. The management also had the tap water analyzed, which showed no anomalies. An employee of the Institute declared that he had heated water the day before in this kettle but that he had not drunk his coffee due to a strange taste.
Investigators believe this is a voluntary act. Charles Guépratte, deputy director general of the Institut Gustave-Roussy, told the press that “given the concentration measured on the samples, we can exclude clumsiness”. He added “the management considers that it is necessarily intentional and that it is a malicious act, even if we have no explanations, or even the idea of a motive.” Pending the results of the investigation, the Institute has decided to strengthen the surveillance of the research unit, in particular by deploying security agents.
.
