At least 58 people taken to hospitals from casino

All the employees were treated and released Wednesday afternoon. Guests of the hotel-casino complex on the tribe's reservation in Isabella County were not affected, authorities said.

Tribal officials said the irritant was released about 12:15 p.m. Wednesday in the hotel laundry room and reached the employee cafeteria through the ventilation system, the Morning Sun of Mount Pleasant reported.

Two chemists, including one from Dow Chemical Co., were brought in Wednesday to investigate the source, tribal officials told the newspaper.

Tribal Fire Chief Fred Cantu said samples of all detergents and other products used in the laundry were being tested.

Hospital reports indicated the irritant either was chlorine-based or stemmed from a chemical reaction involving a commercial detergent known as Liquid Laundry Break, the Morning Sun reported.

The product is made by Wisconsin-based U.S. Chemical, which said the detergent can form toxic and irritating fumes. when mixed with other chemicals or when it comes into contact with certain metals.

MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland partitioned off a section of its emergency room with plastic shields to keep incoming patients quarantined while they were decontaminated and treated.

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