Some chemists refused to use dimethylmercury for safety reasons

On August 14, 1996, Weterhahn had been preparing mercury samples for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Kent Sagden said, "Dimethylmercury is the standard choice for mercury nuclear magnetic resonance because it is a pure 'pure' liquid, so you don't have to worry about the effect of concentration or pH value, which may cause false chemical changes." Now, he is a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Montana in the United States. In 1996, he served as an assistant researcher at Dartmouth University. He established nuclear magnetic resonance standards for non-toxic mercury salts for Werthahn, but when she did not achieve the expected results, she used dimethylmercury to confirm her discovery. He described her as' a very thorough chemist '.

In January 1997, Waithahn began to notice a tingling sensation in her lower limbs. What is even more worrying is that she began to stumble when walking, her speech began to blur, and her vision and hearing were also affected. After going to the hospital, she was diagnosed with severe mercury poisoning. At this moment, she remembered the water droplets that had spilled; She didn't realize that this substance had seeped into her gloves, into her skin. The toxicity threshold for human mercury content is 50 µ g/L. Weitehahn's exposure is approximately 80 times his, at 4 milligrams per liter.

Few people in the world have the same understanding of toxic metals as Werthahn. She knew that once it penetrated the skin, dimethylmercury had an ultimate destination: her brain. She began a treatment called chelation therapy, which attempted to convert mercury in her body into a substance that could be excreted. However, it is easier for the body to excrete mercury salts than dimethylmercury, and after 5 months of exposure to mercury salts, the chances of any effective treatment are slim. As her senses continued to decline, she advised her department chairman to remind their staff of the extreme hazards of dimethylmercury.

In early February 1997, just three weeks after the symptoms appeared, Werthahn fell into a coma. She remained in a vegetative state until her death on June 8, 1997, at the age of 48, leaving behind her husband and two children.

Even before the accident in Waithahn, some chemists refused to use dimethylmercury for safety reasons. However, although the chemical community knows that this substance is toxic, they have not realized how toxic it is; After all, the only known fatal dimethylmercury accident in the 20th century occurred in 1972, involving a Czech chemist. Although there were only two deaths in a century, this may seem surprising for this dangerous substance, but Sagden said that dimethylmercury "has never been widely used in the laboratory, even among organic metallists.

A few weeks after Weithhahn's death, Chemical&Engineering News published a letter reporting on her fatal accident and the astonishing results of dimethylmercury testing on the gloves she was wearing. An independent laboratory confirmed that dimethylmercury can quickly penetrate latex. A year later, in March 1998, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States Department of Labor issued a hazard information notice recommending avoiding the use of dimethylmercury unless absolutely necessary. The notice also urged that anyone working with dimethylmercury, in addition to wearing a mask, should wear silver shield laminated gloves under wear-resistant outer gloves. In addition, laboratory staff should report any leaks and immediately receive medical attention, and anyone who has long-term dealings with dimethylmercury should undergo regular blood and urine tests.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has imposed a fine of $9000 (6890 pounds) on Dartmouth College for failing to provide sufficient warning, especially regarding the shortcomings of disposable latex gloves. Sugden pointed out that when dealing with toxic substances, the laboratory has shifted from latex gloves to nitrile gloves because nitrile gloves have less porosity. He still remembers the story of other campuses cleaning up all the dimethylmercury after the tragedy of Waithahn. He believes that this substance is no longer obtainable through purchase, "even if you want to work with it.