San Diego

Three devices used to inject a potentially harmful drug that washed ashore on local beaches were distributed by the Department of Defense, officials said Tuesday.

The injectors, which release a chemical that is an antidote for nerve gas, were traced to a DOD depot in Tracy, Calif., said Cmdr. Doug Schamp, a Navy spokesman. Investigators were able to link the injectors to the depot by lot numbers printed on the devices.

The devices had washed ashore along with 100 bottles of penicillin and several hundred strips of antimalarial drugs, all of which are routinely supplied to military personnel. The penicillin and antimalarial medications, however, carried no lot numbers, making it difficult to trace their origins.

The medical debris is the first since a flood of syringes and other hazardous waste were discovered in late 1988. Much of that debris carried military labels and markings.

County officials have cautioned beach-goers to avoid contact with the injectors, which will release the drug atropine. Atropine can cause fever, delirium and giddiness. Anyone injected with the crayon-sized devices should contact a doctor.

Navy officials say it’s unlikely that they can further trace the origin of the injectors that washed ashore to a particular vessel, base or even a civilian business contracted to dispose of the waste. The depot supplies military bases on the West Coast, as well as those in Japan and Hawaii.

Officials with the Naval Investigative Service helped trace the debris to the Northern California depot.