YPSILANTI, Mich. – A faulty air conditioner in Ypsilanti resulted in a toxic gas leak that hospitalized one person.
According to authorities, a 911 call Wednesday, June 26, alerted the Ypsilanti Fire Department to a medical emergency on Michigan Avenue, between Prospect and Miles streets. First responders entered an apartment at the location to find an unresponsive person, who was taken to a hospital.
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They are expected to survive.
Tests reportedly measured increasing amounts of carbon monoxide and methane inside the apartment, but not in any neighboring units.
A HAZMAT team arrived and searched the apartment as carbon monoxide readings continued to rise, allegedly exceeding 200 parts per million.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average level in homes varies from 0.5 to 15 parts per million.
After being unable to find a definitive source of the carbon monoxide, the apartment’s air conditioner was turned on, which reportedly began releasing a high amount of the refrigerant freon.
They determined that the released freon had been degrading into phosgene, a toxic gas, which they also believe to be the cause of high CO and CH4 readings.
Authorities cut power to the apartment unit and the property manager was instructed to keep it unoccupied until the air conditioner is replaced.
The Ypsilanti Building Department will oversee the replacement and will inspect the property.