A Brandeis graduate student was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital after the chemicals he was working with in the Edison-Lecks Science Building exploded last Thursday, according to Senior Vice President for Communications Andrew Gully.Gully said in a phone interview with the Justice that there was a reaction among the chemicals the student was using while he was doing a procedure; he was taken to the hospital to be treated for a glass injury that resulted from the explosion.

Gully further explained that the student was treated and released by the end of the day.

According to Gully, after the incident happened, both the Waltham Fire Department and University Police were notified.

The building was evacuated and the fire department sent the Hazardous Materials team to search the building.

There was no damage to the lab or to the building, Gully said. Gully did not identify the student, citing privacy concerns.

Gully wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the Chemistry department investigated the incident and determined that the explosion resulted from an equipment failure.

"During a purification process, extremely explosive condensed liquid oxygen came in contact with a solvent because of a leaky seal on a glass flask, triggering the reaction. Students in the lab are being briefed on the cause so they are aware of what happened, and why, and so they can take extra safety precautions," he wrote.