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Chemical Safety Hazard Alert - Sodium Amide Explosion Closes U of Mass
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Blast Destroys 2 Labs and Closes
U. of Mass. at Boston for a Day
By LISA GUERNSEY
Two laboratories at the University of Massachusetts at Boston were destroyed
in an explosion Thursday that forced a day-long closure of the campus. One
student was critically burned by the blast and remained hospitalized Sunday.
The explosion was caused by a chemical reaction in a refrigerator that the
student had been cleaning, according to Stephen MacDonald, a spokesman for
the Boston Fire Department. The fire consumed the refrigerator and spread
through the first laboratory and into an adjacent lab, fed by other
flammable materials in the rooms.
"We had to take a huge volume of water to eventually drown it," Mr.
MacDonald said. Fire officials have not determined the exact cause of the
explosion because the injured student, a senior named Margolis Bourgahl, has
not been interviewed yet. They are considering whether sodium amide, a
chemical that reacts violently with water, was in the refrigerator and came
in contact with the student's sponge or towel. Ms. Bourgahl was the only one
in either of the laboratories at the time, Mr. MacDonald said. But 16 other
people were exposed to smoke from the blaze, which spread to a connecting
lab. They were treated for possible contamination at a nearby hospital and
released.
The fire may have caused between $200,000 and $500,000 worth of damage,
Mr.MacDonald said. The science building was closed all day Thursday and
Friday, and will probably remain closed throughout this week, when students
are away for their spring break. Officials for the university could not be
reached for comment.
Last Modified: February 1, 2008
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