https://www.wmur.com/article/unh-student-new-details-hazmat-durham-nh/44009624
DURHAM, N.H. — A Ph.D candidate at UNH who is facing criminal charges after an apparent hazmat situation near campus over the weekend was trying to follow a YouTube video that specifically warned viewers not to repeat the experiment, according to Durham police. Police said the suspect, Emad Mustafa, 29, called authorities himself on Saturday, saying he may have been exposed to a toxic chemical.
According to new court documents, Mustafa told officers he believed he had made a chemical called dimethyl mercury inside his Oyster River home. He told officers that mixing the chemical caused a flash-burn, creating smoke and toxic vapor. He was taken to the hospital and treated, but that process launched a multi-department investigation. Mustafa admitted that another tenant may have also been exposed to the chemicals. Town officials in Durham said Mustafa identified the chemicals as mercury, sodium and dimethyl sulfate.
UNH PhD student admits disposing 'dangerous' chemicals in dumpster, court documents state
DURHAM — Emad Mustafa admitted to police he "eyeballed" measurements of chemicals he mixed in his apartment, leading to toxic exposure, a trip to the hospital and felony charges, according to court documents.
Mustafa, 29, of 35 Oyster River Road, a Jordanian national studying at the University of New Hampshire as a PhD student, was transported to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover for treatment May 13.
Calling himself a "hobbyist" who experiments at home, Mustafa admitted to police he mixed the chemicals outside a proper lab environment and without proper ventilation, according to an affidavit written by David Holmstock, Durham's deputy police chief.
Assistant Strafford County Attorney Joachim Barth said the chemicals Mustafa allegedly had in his possession were mercury, dimethyl sulphate, sodium azide and sodium metal.
Mustafa said the result of his mixing mercury and sodium was a flash-burn effect, causing the release of smoke and vapor, according to the affidavit. Mustafa said he ventilated by using a ceiling fan and opening his bedroom door, possibly exposing a second tenant of the basement apartments, Holmstock wrote. According to the affidavit, Mustafa bought the mercury at a chemist store and ordered the sodium online.
Mustafa called for help and was sent to the hospital for treatment for exposure to a toxic chemical. He reported experiencing difficulty breathing, headaches, numbness and muscle weakness, according to the affidavit.
Mustafa was arrested May 23 and charged with reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and improper disposal of hazardous materials. Both charges are Class B felonies punishable by a maximum of seven years in prison.
Following the experiment and subsequent reaction, Mustafa told police he put all the materials, including chemicals and test tubes, in a plastic grocery store bag and disposed of them in a UNH dumpster in C-lot on Mill Road, later admitting to police he was aware of the proper regulations for disposal, according to the affidavit.
"The mercury had to go somewhere," he allegedly said to authorities. "It's dangerous.”
The incident prompted an investigation and the execution of a search warrant involving Seacoast Technical Assistance Response Team (START) under the direction of the Strafford County Attorney’s Office, Durham police and fire departments, UNH police, New Hampshire State Police and federal partners.
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