hi doctor

A question about the inhaling of probably toxic fumes from melted plastic and chemical experiment

Recently at an experimental presentation, a young teacher performed an experiment where a potassium compound (looked like a bluish powder) was mixed with a transparent, thick, liquid, which produced a flame inside a beaker. I think the result was supposed to produce a "volcano". What happened was a flame came out, and the plastic beaker melted. This resulted in some dark smoke in the room where I was in, and a horrible smell. The window was opened and the smoke escaped in the matter of a few minutes, I don't think I inhaled much directly - HOWEVER the bad smell remained.

My question is if any of the toxic by-products from this reaction in the air (from the potassium compound with a thick transparent substance, producing a flame and melting a plastic beaker as well) could have negatively impacted my (future) health in any permanent way? I read they can be carcinogenic..