2 Drops of Dimethylmercury: The Death of Dr. Karen Wetterhahn

Comments · 1.2K

• CH

  @ChemistryinaNutshell · 1 year ago (edited) · pinned

  Karen Wetterhahn’s story is a tragic and vital reminder of why laboratory safety protocols matter. &nbsp;<br>⚛️ Explore the history and scale of atoms: &nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvUW25kBaMMszGN5XY0QXNP_t-9Z-B8C2">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvUW25kBaMMszGN5XY0QXNP_t-9Z-B8C2</a><br>🔬Struggling with organic chemistry? &nbsp;Master mechanisms here: &nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvUW25kBaMMtvqt_IBtezyBX_kk447pxZ">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvUW25kBaMMtvqt_IBtezyBX_kk447pxZ</a><br>🧪Looking for lab safety resources? If you work or study in a lab, grab my human-artist made lab safety posters to keep protocols front and center: <a href="https://payhip.com/b/SNQL0">https://payhip.com/b/SNQL0</a>

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• JO

  @JonathanMueller1980 · 5 months ago

  Safety regulations are written in blood

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• LA

  @larryburchfield9965 · 3 weeks ago

  I don&apos;t even want to be in the same building where that stuff is kept or used.

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• DE

  @deidregoodrich7292 · 3 weeks ago

  I met Dr. Wetterhan when I was a student at Dartmouth. She was a lovely person. I was shocked to learn about her death.

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• RO

  @Rosie-yt8nd · 3 weeks ago

  i had one professor who was veryyyy intense about gloves. about half an hour of our pre-lab safety briefing was gloves. most importantly: THINGS WILL GET THROUGH THEM EVENTUALLY!!! they are not permanent shields, they buy you enough time to get them off. as soon as something spills on it, get them off immediately. if you need to clean a spill, remove it, decontaminate and put on a fresh pair. the glove&apos;s protection is a COUNTDOWN.

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• WO

  @wombatgirl997 · 3 weeks ago (edited)

  I am not a chemist. My friend is a chemist. He was talking about about the scariest chemicals he has encountered, and this one came up. He described it as &quot;mercury with noclip enabled&quot;.

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• RE

  @Replicaate · 2 weeks ago

  There&apos;s a saying I&apos;ve heard, &quot;only lion tamers are killed by lions&quot;. Sometimes the hazards of the job you are good at will take you down, despite your expertise and best preparations.

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• CU

  @Curtis..... · 2 weeks ago

  It&apos;s hard for me to wrap my head around a substance permeating through your skin and into your blood stream in less than 15 seconds not being painful at all

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• PR

  @PRR-xx2hp · 3 weeks ago (edited)

  When I was 19 I did an Independent Study Project in Chemistry at New College in Sarasota, Florida. &nbsp;I used dimethyl mercury. &nbsp;My professor, Rodger W Griffin, showed me the bottle in a fume hood and said calmly &quot;If you get a drop of this on your skin, you will die.&quot; &nbsp;He then gave me heavy rubber gloves that went to the elbow and had a long cuff. &nbsp;They were so heavy that I could hardly bend my fingers. &nbsp;I worked carefully and did not spill a drop. &nbsp;I am still here. &nbsp;At the time, it was not the practice to wear gloves generally in the laboratory. &nbsp;You worked carefully and washed your hands. &nbsp;The practice now of wearing latex gloves creates an unfounded sense of safety. &nbsp;Latex gloves are good for esthetic protection from bodily fluids but viruses, solvents, and many chemicals go right through. &nbsp; Incidentally, almost all the comments on this video are from people who have no idea what they are talking about.

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• LU

  @Lupoexperience · 3 weeks ago

  This accounting of Dr. Wetterhahn&apos;s story was treated respectfully, with an emphasis on improving lab safety and education, and not on dramatizing the incident.

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• LI

  @lifespeaksforitself · 2 weeks ago

  Mad respect to her for not letting others handle the compound. Hope she is happy where ever she is

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• JE

  @jeffarmstrong1308 · 3 weeks ago

  I worked as a technical officer in the teaching laboratories of &nbsp;a major university where we used Dimethyl mercury. <br>We heard of Karen Wetterhahn&apos;s case and immediately changed our handling protocols. Silver shield gloves were not initially available but we mandated use of polyethylene examination gloves inside nitrile gloves. Injunctions were made to instantly strip off contaminated gloves. <br>Every work safety regulation is written in somebody&apos;s blood

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