Posted
by Brad Johnson
on Fri Jul 9, 2010
Last updated
Jul 9, 2010
University officials tell ABC 17 News too much hydrogen was allowed into a work area in the lab, something sparked and the gas exploded, leveling the lab. They say it's still unclear what caused the spark, but they've narrowed it down to an electrical switch or other equipment inside the chamber.
University officials say the lab was used to study a special type of bacteria that breaks down toxic metals like uranium. They say researchers were in the process of cleaning out all the oxygen inside the work area when the explosion happened.
Officials tell us they're looking into new ways of conducting this type of research. They say there will be many changes because of this incident.
"We're going in and we're taking a look at some of the details at procedures and training and some of the material we do use and machine we do use and saying what about these could lend it self to error," MU spokesperson Christian Basi tells us.
Some of those changes include diluting the hydrogen they use, turning off gas when experiments aren't being performed, replacing valves that control the gas flow, and extra safety training sessions.
Researchers in professor Judy Wall's lab were the one's doing the experiment at the time the explosion happened. Wall tells us they have already begun making the changes. Workers in the building say they are taking extra precautions because they know the dangers that might come from working in these labs.
"It is just an reiterization that we have to be careful with everything because the chemicals we use can be dangerous, it's just a reminder that we have to be aware of what we're doing," researcher down the hall from where the explosion happened Kelsey Mescher says.
Right now the lab is in the process of being cleaned up and remodeled to be used again. University officials tell us they aren't sure how much it's going to end up costing, but it will be a significant amount. The university says researchers will undergo special training sessions for the new equipment and procedures.
