Dow Explosion Triggered By Chemical Reaction

On Jan. 7 an explosion at a Dow Chemical plant in northeastern Massachusetts injured five employees. The employees received critical burns and shrapnel-like wounds.

According to the State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan, a chemical (trimethylaluminum) reacted with water in a lab in Dow Chemical, which caused the explosion.

“What we know is that the chemical we speak of here is highly reactive to water and to air,” Coan said. “So that’s why the investigation is leading itself in that direction.”

For more on this story, read the article from CBS Boston.