Authorities in El Paso county destroyed potentially dangerous chemicals that had been sitting in school science labs as long as 40 years. Are School Chemicals A Safety Threat? The chemicals are often purchased in bulk for school labs, and can sit in storage rooms in schools for years, 7NEWS reporter Lance Hernandez said. Officials found chemicals that had been stored at Widefield High School for four decades, Hernandez said. The chemicals commonly used in science labs can be similar to the phosphorus on the tip of a match, but thousands of times more volatile, officials said. "We didn't realize how dangerous it was," principal Joe Royer said. A bomb squad was called in to remove the chemicals from the school. Health officials later detonated them in a nearby range. State health officials said that they are hoping to educate local health officials and schools on the potential danger of chemicals left in storage, and how to know when to call in help.