LETHAL CHEMISTRY

LETHAL CHEMISTRY is a journey through the history of chemical weapons and the complex relationship between scientific progress and destructive power.
From the emergence of chemical warfare during the First World War to the laboratories and arsenals of the Cold War, the book traces the development of toxic substances, military research, industrial accidents and some of the secret programmes associated with the major powers.
The story continues through chemical terrorism, non-state organisations and the international efforts of the twenty-first century to control and eliminate declared chemical arsenals. Particular attention is given to the evolution of international verification systems and to the role of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The final part looks toward the future: biotechnology, artificial intelligence, advanced research and new technologies are changing the way scientific knowledge can be developed and applied. With these developments come new questions about security, responsibility and the limits of scientific power.
This book does not provide operational instructions for producing or using toxic substances. Its purpose is historical and analytical: to understand how chemistry became intertwined with warfare, how societies responded to the risks, and why prevention and international control remain essential.
A history of science when it becomes power.
A history of power when it becomes danger.
And an attempt to understand how the science of death can become a science of prevention.