Abstract
This paper presents a case study of the laboratory risk assessment of a proposal for the use, in vehicles in Brazil, for a six-month `emergency' period, of a new type of fuel involving a mixture of methanol, ethanol and gasoline. It uses an integrated approach to examine the development of this risk-assessment process in its social, environmental and techno-scientific contexts. The process is shown to involve a dynamic interweaving of certain structured interests mixing both scientific and societal considerations, inside and outside the laboratory. This approach reveals the limits and uncertainties in the assessment of risks to the environment and to health, not only because of technical gaps, but also as a result of the contextual dynamics, and of social interests. The study suggests that a wider and more realistic understanding of the risk-assessment process could enhance opportunities for enlarging social participation in the definition of risks, and in the democratization of decision-making processes.
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