Reports at the weekend citing police said the leak was linked to a water heater.
Hospitalised: 42 people were taken from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy near New York after the carbon monoxide leak from a water heater (file picture)
Kings Point and Nassau County police said the victims were taken to hospitals for evaluation.
A spokesperson for Nassau County police said this morning that no one was seriously ill following the leak, and the officials have concluded their investigations.
The spokesperson said the leak is thought to have come from the Academy’s Barry Hall.
Carbon monoxide incidents also were reported in Connecticut and Massachusetts this weekend, according to emergency services.
Carbon monoxide poisoning kills more than 400 people in America every year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
It is well-known that carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless. It works by binding to red blood cells, which displaces oxygen and suffocates the body.
Blood becomes ‘sticky’ and easily clots, which in some cases leads to strokes, heart attacks and, in the worst case, death.
The gas can leak from any type of fire and even poorly ventilated household appliances such as tumbledryers can start producing carbon monoxide.
While the damage done to vital organs is irreversible, it is possible to halt any future damage by placing victims in a hyperbaric chamber which quickly extracts the gas from the blood.