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Cleaning concoction gases man

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 31, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG - A 44-year-old man got a painful and potentially deadly chemistry lesson Thursday when he mixed bleach and a household cleaner that contained ammonia.

The result was a cloud of chlorine gas, the kind used in World War I poison gas attacks.

St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue was called to a house on Tuna Drive Southeast at 6:08 a.m. when a caller reported a gas cloud in the house.

Firefighters found Michael Newton outside and having trouble breathing. He told them he mixed bleach and a household cleaner that had ammonia.

Minutes after spraying the bathroom, he had trouble breathing, began coughing and had watery eyes and a scratchy throat. He was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in stable condition, fire officials said.

Firefighters used fans to air out the house and washed the bathroom walls with fresh water.

Mixing a product that contains ammonia with bleach creates chlorine gas that can be fatal, fire officials said.

A staff report

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