Seminar II Ethics Of Working With Toxic Chemicals In Your Research 13/03/2017

Moral dilemma Perovskites are a hot topic right now in materials chemistry Unfortunately it contains lead and is potentially dangerous to work with Competent waste disposal is an issue and is current a concern for the environment Your supervisor insists you work on perovskites despite the inadequate equipment available in the lab, and competent safety measures.

Supervisor Personal Issues Colleagues Scientific community environment You refuse to work with these chemicals in these conditions Possibilities: Look for another researcher The supervisor changes your project Risk: If the supervisor can not find someone to work on the project, the funding will be lost Possibilities: You will retain your physical health Risk: May lose your job No publications in this hot topic Possibilities: They get your project that you refused They may be forced to take over the potentially dangerous work you refused No scientific progress Potentially lose chances for collaboration No harm to the environment unless other people work on it

Supervisor Personal Issues Colleagues Scientific community environment You comply and proceed to work with adequate equipment and safe conditions Possibility: Your supervisor is content that your work output is affected Risk: In case something happens to you, the supervisor may bare the future consequences Possibility: You get potentially high impact publications Risk: You risk harming your personal health You risk getting lawsuits from your colleagues Possibility: they may benefit from your work efforts and collaboration, which could lead to more future funding Risk: They may potentially be harmed by your work in terms of personal safety Possibility: The community gain more scientific progress from your work More breakthroughs in the field for cheaper solar cell materials Risk: The government may potentially ban work with these materials The environemnt will be negatively affected

Supervisor Personal Issues Colleagues Scientific community environment Talk to your supervisor Possibility: He may take your concerns seriously He may ignore your concerns Risk: The supervisor needs to consider replacing you with another worker for the project The supervisor may face even more complaints from colleagues Possibility: He may buy proper and safer equipment, which was needed in the first place Risk: He may not take any action Possibility: They can also get benefits from your discussions with the supervisor Risk: The supervisor may push the undesirable projects onto them He may stop work on the project, which halts further scientific progress His improved lab equipment, disposal methods, etc can benefit the environment

Supervisor Personal Issues Colleagues Scientific community environment Complain to the authorities Possibility: The research group suffers in reputation from bad press Risk: Your lab will be forced to take safety actions The supervisor will be compelled to spend funding or even need to other sources of funding Possibility: If they force safety reforms in the lab, you will benefit in personal health Risk: You may lose your job when they close down your lab Possibility: They will also benefit from the safety reforms in terms of personal health Risk: They may also lose their jobs when they close down the lab Possibility: The community will lose out gaining scientific progress if they shut the lab down Risk: The university suffers in reputation from bad press The environment benefits

Conclusions: best solutions 1st: Talking to your supervisor Best compromise between getting chances and not attracting bad press 2nd: Talking to the authorities Most like to ensure safety changes but most likely to attract bad press, damaging group and university reputation