Was there a dimethylmercury poisoning at MIT? Alleged email leaked as Building 18 remains shut amid emergency

An MIT student was hospitalized after dimethylmercury exposure, prompting closure and decontamination of Building 18. The student went to hospital.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Building 18, or the chemistry building, which houses one of the largest labs on the campus, has been closed since Friday night for "specialized decontamination efforts."

Representational. (Unsplash)

Later, The Boston Globe confirmed citing a City of Cambridge spokesperson that the student "transported themselves" to the hospital after being exposed to dimethyl mercury late on Wednesday. According to a city official cited in the report, the person is being treated by the Boston Fire Department's Hazmat team.

Additionally, the report added that a Boston Police spokesperson confirmed that they responded to the building at 8:49pm EDT on Wednesday. The condition of the student is unclear at the time, the report added.

According to an emergency notification shared on the university's website, "only one student was exposed" to an "unauthorized" material - which has not been named - leading to the contamination of the labs inside the building. The school said the specialized decontamination effort is underway "out of an abundance of caution."

"As has been shared with those who work in the building, based on the information available to the department, industrial hygienists, MIT Health medical experts, and other resources consulted, the risk of secondary or tertiary exposures is low, given the compound's characteristics and the information available," the emergency notification added.

But more shocking details are coming from insiders at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, despite there being no further information via official channels.

What Happened At Building 18?

Details about the incident remain sparse, and no information has been officially released beyond the university's alert. Law enforcement in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, has also not officially addressed the situation yet. But a leaked email, allegedly from Matthew D. Shoulders, the head of the MIT Chemistry department, has surfaced on social media in which more details of the incident have emerged - many of which are shocking.

Ht.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the email.

In the email, Shoulders allegedly states that the "reported use of dimethyl mercury was unauthorized" and adds that the school “does not allow the purchase or synthesis of dimethyl mercury.”

Dimethylmercury is extremely poisonous, among the most toxic mercury compounds known. Tiny exposures can cause severe, delayed neurological damage, and a few drops absorbed through the skin can be fatal. It can penetrate some common laboratory gloves, making accidental exposure particularly dangerous. There is no specific antidote or reliable cure for dimethylmercury poisoning.

The potential dangers of dimethylmercury led to the claim spreading on social media that the student who was allegedly exposed died from it.

Incident Brings Back Karen Wetterhahn Memories

The reports of the incident brought back memories of the August 1996 death of Dartmouth College chemistry professor Karen Wetterhahn. She accidentally spilt a few drops of dimethylmercury onto her latex-gloved hand. The chemical penetrated the glove and entered her body without causing any immediate warning signs.

About five months later, she developed severe neurological symptoms including loss of balance, impaired vision and slurred speech. Despite intensive treatment, she deteriorated into a coma and died on June 8, 1997, aged 48.