Photo/Illutration Tokushima University President Yasuhiko Kawamura, left, and other executives apologize on Oct. 28 following a fatal incident at a university facility, likely caused by inadequate safety management. (Hiroyuki Yoshida)

TOKUSHIMA—Tokushima University's institutional safety and communication protocols are being questioned after a 27-year-old male graduate student was found dead in a campus lab on Oct. 20.

The victim was found unresponsive at around 10:30 a.m. by another student in a low-temperature culture room in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences building, according to university officials on Oct. 28.

An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as oxygen deficiency. Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the man's death that is likely tied to a shipment of dry ice.

The university had purchased 270 kilograms of dry ice at the request of researchers. One team moved 31 kg into the culture room on the morning of Oct. 18 to keep it cool during a scheduled power outage the following day.

Dry ice releases carbon dioxide as it sublimates from a solid to a gas, meaning it can displace oxygen in enclosed spaces and result in a hazardous environment.

However, the move was not communicated to other teams sharing the facility, including the deceased student’s, and no signage was posted.

The sealed culture room, maintained at 4 degrees, is approximately 3-by-3 meters and 2.5 meters in height. Experts note that sublimated carbon dioxide in confined spaces like this can quickly reduce oxygen levels to dangerous thresholds.

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