Chemical Crimes in Industry

The third line of chemical crime research focuses on identifying chemicals known to cause harm. The goal of this research is to demonstrate ways in which criminologists can employ medical evidence to identify toxic harms where other forms of data (e.g., standardized measures such as the Uniform Crime Reports) do not exist. This line of research also centers on known technologies that are in use and could, if implemented, reduce the risk of chemical harms. Dioxin, for example, is a chemical waste product that results from the production of chlorine, pesticides, polyvinyl chloride, and paper and from waste incineration. Dioxin is a recognized carcinogen and is thought to be an endocrine disrupter that prevents normal development in animals and humans. The industry of paper pulp is one of the largest producers of dioxin in the world. Researchers argue that significant decrease in dioxin could be attained if paper producers would employ existing paper technology that is chlorine-free. Some parts of the paper industry have responded to the medical research and converted production to incorporate chlorine-free paper production technology. However, researchers studying chemical crimes have noted that much of the paper industry continues to lobby against non-chlorine technologies, also actively participates in and provides funding for the spread of disinformation regarding the hazards of dioxin.

Finally, researchers have also examined chemical crimes in relation to the notion of environmental justice. Environmental justice focuses on production processes and the ways that community racial, class, and ethnic composition is related to the spatial proximity of communities to toxic chemical production, storage, disposal, and treatment facilities. Environmental justice research has demonstrated that community race, class, and ethnic characteristics are important determinants of proximity to hazardous waste locations, which has important implications for the study of chemical crimes.

First, this research indicates that proximity to chemical hazards is influenced by community race and class characteristics, which also reflect the social and economic power communities wield. Second, this research illustrates that community power structures are important determinants of the likelihood that members of a community will be victims of chemical crimes. Third, this research raises the possibility that corporations target less powerful communities as sites for chemical crimes. Fourth, this research demonstrates that race and class membership affect the likelihood that an individual will become the victim of a chemical crime. Finally, because chemical crime exposure is influenced by community race and class characteristics, this raises the need to study associated health and behavioral problems, some of which are thought to be connected to involvement in street crime.

For example, chemical crime researchers believe that chemical toxins not only have health impacts that relate to disease prevalence and incidence but also may have impacts on learning capabilities, ability to cope with frustration, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, and other biological, behavioral, psychological, and developmental factors that have been specified as causes of criminal behavior. Chemical crime researchers argue that the spatial distribution of various chemicals may alter behavior by adversely impacting biological development and elevate crime rates in exposed communities.