• Question: What is the most toxic chemical you have worked with?

    Asked by Profeser James to Anais, katy, Lauren, Richard, Stuart on 9 Mar 2016. This question was also asked by semaj.
    • Photo: Lauren Laing

      Lauren Laing answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      I think the most toxic chemical is probably copper. It isn’t very toxic in low concentrations, in fact it is what we call an essential element, which means that we need it in our diets to be fit and well. But at high concentrations is is very bad for us, so I just make sure I wear gloves and a lab coat when I work with copper.

      Another chemical I sometimes use which isn’t very nice, is chloroform. This is used in the process of extracting DNA and I am very careful when I work with this.

    • Photo: Stuart Atkinson

      Stuart Atkinson answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      Probably dimethyl mercury is the most hazardous I’ve come across. Highly toxic and can penetrate skin easily. To work with, maybe hydrofluoric acid as again it penetrates skin readily but also attacks bone tissue even in low concentrations.

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