Overview
- An MIT graduate student told hospital staff they had synthesized dimethylmercury in a Building 18 lab and went to the emergency room on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
- City and campus responders, including Boston Fire Department hazmat teams and campus industrial hygienists, sealed the lab area and closed Building 18 for specialized decontamination.
- MIT said the student was not authorized to work with the compound and that the student remains under medical supervision while the investigation continues.
- Initial blood testing provided by MIT showed no evidence of mercury exposure and officials say the risk of secondary exposure is low, but some claims such as a leaked departmental email and whether the compound was actually made remain unverified.
- Dimethylmercury is an extremely toxic organomercury that can penetrate common gloves and cause delayed neurological damage, a history that underlies why MIT has offered baseline testing to close contacts and is completing thorough testing and cleanup of affected spaces.