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	▲	manarth a day ago
		Other "sources" (using the word loosely as their provenance is unclear) `> "based on the information available, this was a localized issue with only one student directly exposed. Their reported use of dimethyl mercury was unauthorized. MIT does not allow the purchase or synthesis of dimethyl mercury." [1]` Karen Wetterhahn's exposure and death [3] is a cautionary tale of the extreme toxicity of dimethyl mercury, and was instrumental in new safety recommendations, including strongly discouraging the use of dimethyl mercury for any purpose. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/mit/comments/1w12gb9/dimethyl_mercu... [2] https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/hazmat-crews-respond-to... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Wetterhahn
	▲	gilleain a day ago \| parent [-]
		Yes, dimethyl mercury is terrifying stuff - it killed Karen Wetterhahn from a few drops that went _through_ the gloves she had on: > The case proved that the standard precautions at the time, all of which Wetterhahn had carefully followed, were inadequate for "super-toxic" chemicals like dimethylmercury (from the Wikipedia page [3])