COCOA, Fla. — Students in a dentistry class at Eastern Florida State College's Cocoa Campus had been handling chemicals when people began feeling ill.
"Four students got very nauseous, headache, light-headed," said Dottie Ross, who was forced to leave the building when students became ill.
Ross said she was working inside when she heard there was a problem. She said she called for help.
Cocoa fire officials said students in the dental lab who were working with the chemicals started having breathing trouble and complaining of nausea and dizziness.
"(We) found patients on the exterior of the building. (We) immediately started treating patients and evacuating the building," said Chief Tom Redmond, of the Cocoa Fire Department.
Initially firefighters thought there was some type of gas leak, but they quickly discovered there was no gas going into the building.
They said they discovered the problem was in the dental lab and involved an ammonia-based chemical.
Students told Channel 9's Jeff Deal that the chemicals that cause the problem are used in the X-ray machines.
Andrea Hunt, who complained of chest pains, was one of five people taken to a hospital.
"I took my mask off and I'm like, 'I'm not feeling good,' and the girls are like, 'I'm not feeling good,'" said Hunt.
She said they immediately left the building.
Officials said that 34 people were treated at the scene.
"(Those in the lab) were freaking out. Everyone was going, 'Oh, my gosh, is it the chemicals, something airborne, in the air conditioning? What's going on?'" said Hunt.
Officials said that everyone is expected to be OK.