Man in Critical Condition After Carbon Dioxide Leak at Los Angeles Airport

A man was "critical condition," after a carbon dioxide leak was reported at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Monday morning.

The LAX Airport first reported the incident on Twitter where they said, "Due to a hazardous materials investigation by @LAFD terminal 8 is being cleared of passengers. Please follow instructions from first responders and follow us for updates."

".@LAFD is on scene investigating the cause of an apparent gas leak in Terminal 8. Passengers are being sent to Terminal 7 for screening and access and Terminal 8 remains closed at this time. Please check with your airline for updates on flights," the airport said in a subsequent tweet.

Shortly after, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed in a statement that the gas was carbon dioxide, and said that it "has apparently led to a total of four persons (unknown age/gender/site affiliation) taking suddenly ill."

The Los Angeles Fire Department initially said that three individuals were in "mild destress" and one was in "grave condition."

In an updated statement, the Los Angeles Fire Department said that the "reported release of Carbon Dioxide took place in a utility room within the airport, more than 200' from the Terminal 8 Baggage Area."

"Though NO passengers/travelers were directly affected by the release, in the interest of safety, airport officials moved as many as 100 persons from Terminal 8 to Terminal 7 in a calm and orderly manner. The four persons who took suddenly ill (3 adult males and 1 adult female) were all workers in or near that (unknown size) utility room, when a popping sound was heard, and the apparent release of Carbon Dioxide vapor took place. Three of the four workers (2 males, 1 female) have been treated at scene for minor complaints," the updated statement said.

The fourth individual, who was previously listed in grave condition, "was found pulseless and non-breathing inside the utility room." According to the statement, life-saving aid was administered on the fourth individual, who was described as a male in his 50s and when he arrived to the hospital, his condition "was updated from grave to critical," the statement said.

In another tweet, the LAX Airport said that "United flights coming into LAX will be held at their origin airport during the hazmat investigation, which is ongoing. Please contact your airline for specific flight information. We are working to clear the issue and repopulate Terminal 8 as soon as possible."

When contacted, LAX Airport told Newsweek, "This morning a potential gas leak was reported inside Terminal 8. The terminal was immediately evacuated, and LAFD responded to investigate and treat several people on site. Please contact LAFD for specific information regarding the medical response and transports."

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carbon dioxide "(CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. In 2020, CO2 accounted for about 79% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities."

"The main human activity that emits CO2 is the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) for energy and transportation. Certain industrial processes and land-use changes also emit CO2," the EPA states.

At around 1 p.m. ET, the LAX Airport said on Twitter that the Los Angeles Fire Department "has cleared the building as safe."

"We thank our firefighters for their rapid response and our passengers for their patience during the hazmat investigation," the tweet said.

Update 10/31/2022, 12:16 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more information about the incident. The headline of this article has also been updated to reflect the condition of the man.

Update 10/31/2022, 1:36 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more information about the incident and a statement from the LAX Airport.