Grad student’s research experiment goes wrong, contamination limited to one room
A chemical experiment gone awry caused a minor explosion and forced police and hazardous materials safety officials to shut down part of campus this evening.
The explosion occurred in an upper level of Duane Physics just after 5 p.m. when a student performing an experiment mixed two volatile powdered substances, according to police. Hazmat officials evacuated the building and the immediate surrounding area, but said the contamination had been contained to one room. They are currently treating the situation as a “small contamination.”
CU police Cmdr. Brad Wiesley said the experiment involved independent research being performed by a graduate student under a fume hood and the supervising professor was not in the room at the time of the incident.
The student, whose name has not been released, was cut on the arm and was transferred to Boulder Community Hospital. The student is expected to be released later tonight.
Colorado Avenue from Muenzinger Auditorium to Benson Earth Sciences was closed for a short time, forcing RTD system buses that run through campus to redirect and causing delays for riders.
Contact Campus Press staff writers Jason Bartz and Luke Morin at Jason.Bartz@thecampuspress.com and Lucas.Morin@thecampuspress.com
