Hot Peppers On The Playground Hospitalizes Several Students, Causes School Evacuation (VIDEO)

Several students were hospitalized after habanero peppers were discovered in Jefferson County Open School's playground, prompting the officials to evacuate the building on Monday, Yahoo News reported.

When students came back after recess, many started complaining of skin and eye irritations, according to 9 News.

Although officials were initially uncertain of the cause of illnesses, they announced that the "toxic irritant" was pieces of about six habanero peppers that had been mixed in with the playground's wood chips on Tuesday.

Habaneros generally score between 100,000 and 350,000 units on the Scoville scale, which measures chili pepper hotness, CNN reported.

"The scale is actually a measure of the concentration of the chemical compound capsaicin, which is the active component that produces the heat sensation for humans," according to ChiliWorld.com. For comparison, jalepeno peppers usually score 2,500 to 5,000 units.

Capsaicin particles are released into the air when habanero peppers are grinded by being stepped on. A burning sensation will be caused when it is breathed in or felt in your eyes.

"As a person who grows some painful peppers, I have learned the hard way to take heed when handling them," said CNN Eatocracy editor Kat Kinsman. "It's all fun and games until you get some pepper juice in your eye, and then it's as if the sun is exploding."

While a handful of students were taken to the hospital, thirty kids and a teacher's aide were eventually treated for symptoms similar to an allergic reaction, according to CNN affiliate KUSA.

The rest of the students were evacuated to a church down the street.

Jefferson County schools spokesperson Lynn Setzer told the Associated Press it isn't yet known how the peppers ended up on the playground.

Students, ranging from prekindergarten through 12th grade, were rescued by police, firefighters, and a hazardous materials team at the scene.

"Following the evacuation, all students were sent home. The school was closed on Tuesday so that playground equipment and indoor surfaces could be cleaned," Yahoo News reported. "Classes are expected to resume on Wednesday. Authorities don't expect any long-term effects, according to 9 News."