# Claim table — Karen Wetterhahn / dimethylmercury

| Claim / issue | Evidence label | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Karen Wetterhahn was a Dartmouth chemistry professor and heavy-metal toxicology researcher. | Dartmouth / C&EN / NIEHS | Supported. |
| Her cancer-related work focused on heavy-metal carcinogenesis, especially chromium. | Dartmouth / NIH / PubMed | Supported. Her work addressed how chromium and nickel cause cancer and how chromium(VI) damages DNA/gene expression. |
| She spilled one or several drops of dimethylmercury onto a latex-gloved hand in August 1996. | NEJM / OSHA / C&EN | Supported in broad outline; exact amount remains described as one/several drops or a small spill. |
| Latex gloves protected her. | OSHA / C&EN | False. Later permeation testing found dimethylmercury rapidly penetrated latex; OSHA says latex, neoprene and butyl are not suitable for direct contact. |
| Symptoms were delayed by months. | NEJM / OSHA | Supported. Distinct neurological symptoms appeared about five months after exposure. |
| Chelation reversed the poisoning. | NEJM | False/misleading. Chelation increased urinary mercury excretion but did not stop neurological decline. |
| Hair analysis helped confirm a single exposure window. | NEJM / OSHA | Supported. Hair mercury rose after a lag and peaked later, consistent with exposure around the lab incident. |
| Her death changed lab safety. | OSHA / C&EN / Dartmouth | Supported. It led to warnings, glove compatibility testing, avoidance recommendations, laminate-glove requirements and safer NMR standards. |
| This is a cancer-treatment story. | Evidence classification | No. It is a cancer-toxicology / carcinogenesis / lab-safety story, not treatment advice. |