Pyridine, a clear liquid that evaporates easily and can cause liver damage, was spilled in a refrigerator at the lab.
The Cambridge Fire Department (CFD) and the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) responded after the spill was reported at about 12:45 a.m.
"They evacuated the building and then it took the hazardous materials unit about an hour and a half to clean out the building," said Sergeant Daniel Brown of HUPD.
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HUPD and CFD shut down Oxford and Kirkland streets as a precaution while the spill was being contained.
The spill did not result in any injuries and the street was reopened within hours.
--Staff writer Joseph P. Flood can be reached at flood@fas.harvard.edu