Karen Wetterhahn

Dr. Karen Wetterhahn
Born	(1948-10-16)October 16, 1948 Plattsburgh, New York, U.S.
Died	June 8, 1997(1997-06-08) (aged 48) Lebanon, New Hampshire, U.S.
Other names	Dr. Karen Wetterhahn Jennette[1]
Alma mater	St. Lawrence University Columbia University
Known for	Work on toxic metal exposure Death from Dimethylmercury exposure
Scientific career
Fields	Chemistry
Institutions	Dartmouth College
Thesis	Metallointercalation reagents: synthesis, physical properties, and their interaction with nucleic acids (1975)
Doctoral advisor	Stephen J. Lippard

Karen Elizabeth Wetterhahn (October 16, 1948 – June 8, 1997), also known as Karen Wetterhahn Jennette,^[1] was an American professor of chemistry at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, who specialized in toxic metal exposure. She died of mercury poisoning at the age of 48 due to accidental exposure to the extremely toxic organic mercury compound dimethylmercury (Hg(CH₃)₂). Protective gloves in use at the time of the incident provided insufficient protection, and exposure to only a few drops of the chemical absorbed through the gloves proved to be fatal after less than a year.