The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office bomb unit disposed of explosive chemicals accidentally mixed together in a science lab at Santa Rosa Junior College this week.
Two chemicals, ammonium chloride and potassium chlorate, were accidentally mixed for a chemistry demonstration in a class Tuesday morning, Oct. 14, at the Lindley Center on campus, according to Santa Rosa Junior College spokesperson Sarah Laggos. The demonstration was intended to display an endothermic reaction by mixing barium hydroxide and ammonium chloride.
The incorrect mixture prompted campus police to contact the Sheriff’s Office to assist with safely neutralizing the chemicals, officials said. The building was evacuated as a precaution while the materials were removed, Laggos said in an email to The Press Democrat.
The bomb squad arrived shortly after 11 a.m. to dispose of the chemicals and were on scene for about three hours, according to officials. Authorities used a robot to move the chemicals to a safe location — the empty grounds Beck Hall used to occupy — for disposal.
No injuries were reported and there was no risk to the surrounding community or any nearby buildings at any point during the incident, Laggos said.
You can reach Staff Writer Kyle Garcia Takata at kyle.garciatakata@pressdemocrat.com.
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