An explosion occurred at a school when a recycling bin door blew off due to a reaction in a water bottle. The incident generated significant heat, melted plastic, and produced a sweet, fruity-smelling liquid with a pH of about 4. Concerns were raised about student access to chemicals, but it was clarified that students only have access to lab chemicals that are accounted for after each class. The discussion speculated that the sweet smell could be from a household cleaner with fragrant additives, like orange or lemon Pine-Sol. It was suggested that a combination of aluminum foil and a household cleaner containing sodium hydroxide might have caused the reaction, as this could produce gas and pressure in a sealed environment. The possibility of this being an intentional act rather than an accident was also mentioned.
