Chinese pupils who say toxic chairs and desks made them ill only suffering from virus: city officials

Authorities in a northeast Chinese city say pupils who complained of coughing and vomiting most likely suffered from a virus and were not poisoned by formaldehyde, as the teens and their parents claimed.

Fifteen pupils at a middle school in Daan city in Jilin province began to feel unwell and blamed what they said were excessive levels of formaldehyde in desks and chairs, the Chengdu Business Daily reported on Monday.

They said tests carried out at a hospital in the provincial capital of Changchun confirmed they had been exposed to the chemical, which can cause eye and skin irritations – and cancer in severe cases.

The pupils said their parents had sought help from local authorities but did not receive any reply.

The Daan city government denied the students had been poisoned, according to a statement by the press office of the provincial government, the Daily reported.

The pupils likely contracted a virus, but it was not immediately clear what type, the Daan authorities said.