By Emily Malia

Copyright dailyrecord

One educator and researcher suffered a terrifying demise from just a minuscule droplet, no bigger than a raindrop, of a single chemical that came into contact with her skin. Employed as a research chemist at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, US, Karen Wetterhahn was meticulously examining how heavy metals affect living creatures when she inadvertently became part of her own study. During the summer of 1996, the academic was handling a substance called dimethylmercury when a microscopic bead dropped from a pipette tip and touched her latex glove. Despite following all necessary safety protocols for such work and instantly discarding the gloves before donning fresh ones, it appeared too late as the toxins had already taken effect. The substance had penetrated through her skin and, unbeknownst to her, entered her circulation, reports the Express . When the accident occurred, Karen remained completely unaware of what was unfolding within her system until several months afterwards when she started experiencing symptoms. These strange manifestations included difficulty with coordination and problems affecting her speech and eyesight, and soon enough, she found herself hospitalised the following January. Medical professionals conducted blood examinations there and found that Karen was suffering from mercury poisoning – not merely a mild case, but with concentrations exceeding the safe threshold by more than 4000 times. Reports indicate that Dr Ben Miles highlighted just how lethal this tiny amount proved to be, stating that merely one drop of the transparent fluid can “change your life forever”. He explained: “Not immediately, but so inevitably that doctors can only watch as your brain slowly disintegrates. This is the horrifying reality of dimethylmercury… Once inside the body, dimethylmercury decomposes, releasing mercury ions that bind aggressively to sulphur atoms.. “Which are in particularly high abundance within the neurones of the brain and central nervous system. Robbed of the sulphur that they need, those neurones begin to malfunction and die.” It’s believed the substance can swiftly penetrate clothing layers and breach the skin within merely 15 seconds. Despite medics acting quickly to purge the mercury from her system, the devastation had already progressed beyond repair. Gradually, 10 months following her exposure, Karen descended into a coma that required life support before ultimately claiming her life. Test results showed her mercury concentrations spiked 17 days post-accident and reached their peak at 39 days, sparking her sudden deterioration. This tragic incident created an enduring scientific legacy that Karen left for future generations. This includes recognition from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which subsequently established an award bearing her name. Consequently, enhanced safety measures were implemented in laboratories handling dimethylmercury, acknowledging its proven capacity to penetrate materials including latex, PVC and neoprene. A report from 1998 clarifies: “The gloves used in this incident were disposable latex examination gloves, and subsequent permeation testing of the gloves by a certified, independent testing laboratory indicated that the chemical permeates latex, PVC, and neoprene almost instantaneously.”