On the evening of Wednesday 12 September a doctoral student in Chemistry informed their Supervisor that after having been unwell for a few weeks they had just been diagnosed with thallium poisoning. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor was informed and made the decision to immediately close buildings 30 and 30a (Chemistry) as a precautionary measure.
We then contacted the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the Hampshire Police to establish whether the source of the poisoning was from these buildings. On Thursday afternoon the HSE and the Police initiated their investigation and are receiving our full cooperation and support to determine the cause. In discussions with the three agencies, the University’s precautionary approach in closing the buildings has been welcomed.
We now understand that the student is being treated primarily for thallium but also for arsenic poisoning. This is an isolated case and may not even be linked to the University. As soon as we have successfully completed our risk assessment procedures we will re-open the buildings, but this is unlikely to be before Monday 17 September.
The staff and students from these buildings are being kept regularly up to date on any developments as the external agencies provide advice.
In the meantime we appreciate that some colleagues and students who are permanently situated in these buildings might be anxious about their own health. We have therefore undertaken to provide some appropriate screening in the first instance for people who work in the immediate vicinity of the laboratory used by the student, or whose research involves the use of thallium. Poisoning from this chemical is extremely rare, but it is treatable. This is an ongoing investigation and we will provide updates as the facts are made available to us.
Our student support staff are in touch with the student, who is being well looked after in a specialist unit, and their parents to whom we are providing whatever support they need.
If you have any general enquiries about this, please email [email protected]