Students at Alaska elementary accidentally drink floor sealant that was thought to be milk

Twelve children and two adults at an elementary school in Juneau, Alaska, accidentally ingested floor sealant believing it was milk.

Several students complained of burning sensations in their mouth and throats, and at least one child was treated at a hospital after the Tuesday morning incident, reports KBTX-TV.

The incident occurred when students attending a summer program at Sitʼ Eeti Shaanáx̱ Glacier Valley Elementary School in the Juneau district were served breakfast.

"Shortly after breakfast was served students complained of the milk tasting bad and burning their mouth/throat," the district said in a statement on its website. "Juneau School District...staff immediately followed up by smelling/tasting the milk and looking at the container/label. It was found that the 'milk' served was actually a floor sealant resembling liquid milk. Staff immediately directed students to stop consuming the substance and removed it."

District staff immediately contacted poison control, and parents and guardians of the students who ingested the chemicals were notified.

One student received medical treatment at a local hospital, and two other students were picked up by parents and may have gone to seek medical advice, the district said.

District staff members made sure the sealant was removed from the school and placed in storage for hazardous chemicals.

KINY Radio reports that Juneau Superintendent Bridget Weiss said she spoke directly to many of the parents on Tuesday night.

“From the best information that I have at this point, all twelve students and two adults are doing well,” Weiss said. “I was able to contact ten of the twelve families last night personally."

The district is unsure of how the incident occurred.

“One of the problems was that this sealant was delivered on the same pallet as milk pouches," Weiss said. "So, if you think about a dispenser that you might see in a restaurant or a cafeteria, it was one with large pouches of milk … and on the same pallet were pouches of sealant."

The sealant, Weiss added, had a special scent-blocker that made its detection difficult.

“This solvent has a sealant had a scent-blocker in it, so it didn't smell. It was odorless,” Weiss said. “That's why we ended up with two adults also taking a sip thinking that it was bad milk when a student complained, and they didn't even smell it. That would have alerted us right away."