Security for labs in wake of poisoning

New security and surveillance devices are to be installed in laboratories that contain lethal chemicals, the Shanghai Education Commission said Tuesday.

This follows a 2013 case when Lin Senhao, a post-graduate medical student at Fudan University, murdered roommate Huang Yang by contaminating their water dispenser with a toxic chemical that he had stolen from a university lab.

Stricter accountability rules in procurement of chemicals will also be issued, Zhang Xu, deputy director of the committee's logistics department, told political advisers.

Zhang said efforts will also be increased to monitor mailed packages for lethal materials, as some can be easily bought over the Internet.

University laboratory safety rules should be thoroughly reviewed and strictly implemented to the prevent illegal use of chemicals, several political advisers urged.

Chen Lin, dean of the environmental science department of the College of Environmental Science and Engineering at Tongji University, said carelessness in lab management can be seen even in the city's best universities.

"Many labs don't keep a record of their chemicals from their procurement to disposal," Chen said.

Some labs allowed visitors access without asking for identity, added Chen.

Advisers also said it's important to give students a systematic introduction to lab chemicals.

Dong Yaming, a professor of chemistry at Shanghai Normal University, said Lin Senhao committed his crime out of ignorance, not realizing how lethal the chemical he used dimethylnitrosamine actually was.