See Toxic Expertise Project Results in Brief (2021) 'Exploring toxic expertise, the petrochemical industry and environmental justiceLink opens in a new window,' CORDIS Research*eu Magazine, European Commission.

We critically examine 'toxic expertise', debates by 'experts' (scientific, legal, economic, and civil) about the 'toxic'. Toxic substances are ever-present in modern day life. They are matters of public concern because of their effects on health and the environment. Yet toxicity is difficult to measure, and evident at very different levels and doses.

We focus our attention on the global petrochemical industry, which is important for numerous essential everyday goods, underpins urban infrastructure and transport, and provides millions of jobs. Yet petrochemicals are highly toxic, and thus they need to be handled with care, to prevent or at least minimize their potentially harmful effects.

This research provides the first systematic social scientific study of the global petrochemical industry in relation to corporate social responsibility and environmental justice, responding to calls for the ‘democratisation’ of science to make it more transparent and accountable.