FBI Investigates Toxic Scare at Irvine Company
Dozens of people were evacuated from an Irvine computer company Wednesday after a white powdery substance that a worker found under his chair initially tested positive as a toxic substance, authorities said.
Further testing late Wednesday at the FBI’s lab in San Diego determined it to be “a benign substance” but did not identify it exactly, said Lt. Dave Freedland of the Irvine Police Dept.
After finding the substance, the worker called police, who instructed him to take the powder to the nearest fire station. A preliminary test indicated that it could be ricin, a castor bean extract that has been linked to bioterrorism attempts.
The building was evacuated as a precaution, said Irvine Police Lt. Sam Allevato.
At 1:30 p.m., about 60 employees of QuickStart Technologies were taken to a holding area for decontamination procedures, but no one showed symptoms of any type of exposure, said Capt. Steve Miller of the Orange County Fire Authority. The building was being inspected by a hazardous materials team.
Ricin, among the most toxic natural substances, attacks the respiratory system and can kill within three days if ingested, inhaled or injected.
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