Karen Wetterhahn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karen Wetterhahn
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| Born | October 16, 1948 Plattsburgh, New York, U.S.
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| Died | June 8, 1997 (aged 48) Lyme, New Hampshire, U.S.
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| Other names | Karen Wetterhahn Jennette |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | Dartmouth College |
| Thesis | Metallointercalation reagents: synthesis, physical properties and their interaction with nucleic acids (1975) |
| Doctoral advisor | Stephen J. Lippard |
| Influenced | Christine Alewine |
Karen Elizabeth Wetterhahn (October 16, 1948 – June 8, 1997), also known as Karen Wetterhahn Jennette, was an American professor of chemistry at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, who specialized in toxic metal exposure. She died of mercury poisoning at the age of 48 due to accidental exposure to the organic mercury compound dimethylmercury (Hg(CH3)2). Protective gloves in use at the time of the incident provided insufficient protection, and exposure to only a few drops of the chemical absorbed through the gloves proved to be fatal after less than a year.
Career
Wetterhahn was born in Plattsburgh, New York. She earned her bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University in 1970 and her doctorate from Columbia University in 1975. Her doctoral work was supervised by Stephen J. Lippard. She joined Dartmouth's faculty in 1976 and published more than 85 research papers. In 1990, Wetterhahn helped establish Dartmouth College's Women in Science Project (WISP), which helped to raise the share of women science majors from 13 to 25 percent at Dartmouth College and has become a national model.
Legacy
Wetterhahn's death shocked not only the entire chemistry department at Dartmouth, but also regulatory agencies, as the accidental exposure occurred despite her having taken all required measures known at that time. These included the use of latex gloves, a fume hood, and adherence to standard safety procedures. After Wetterhahn's mercury poisoning was discovered, her colleagues tested various safety gloves against dimethylmercury and found that the small, apolar molecule diffuses through most of them in seconds, much more quickly than expected. As a result, it is now recommended to wear plastic laminate gloves when handling dimethylmercury.
At the time, dimethylmercury was the common calibration standard for 199Hg NMR spectroscopy because it has certain advantages over the alternatives that exist. As a consequence of Wetterhahn's accident, safety recommendations have been revised, and the use of dimethylmercury for any purpose has been highly discouraged. Wetterhahn's legacy includes a significant and lasting improvement in laboratory safety.
Dartmouth College has since established an award in Wetterhahn's name to encourage other women to pursue careers in science. Whenever possible, preference in granting the award is given to a woman. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences also maintains an annual award, for a graduate student or post-doctoral researcher, in honor of Karen Wetterhahn.
See also
In Spanish: Karen Wetterhahn para niños
