The Black Box of Bhopal:
A Closer Look at the World’s Deadliest Industrial Disaster

by Themistocles D’Silva
Publisher: Trafford Publishing (www.trafford.com/06-0167)
Publication Date: September 2006
ISBN: 1-4120-8412-1
Price: $19.50

On December 3, 2006, the world will commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the tragic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, which killed over two thousand nearby residents and caused untold pain to tens of thousands more -- many of whom still suffer even today. A new book, titled THE BLACK BOX OF BHOPAL: A Closer Look at the World’s Deadliest Industrial Disaster, by Themistocles D’Silva (Trafford Publishing) will challenge many of the public’s assumptions about this cataclysmic event.

Thoroughly researched and written by a former Union Carbide scientist who had unique access to inside documents and research analysis about the investigation, this book provides unparalleled and surprising new insights into the construction, operations and internal workings of Union Carbide, its Indian subsidiary, and the Bhopal plant. It also critically analyzes the Indian government investigation report about the postulated cause of the gas leak. Through extensive accounts of the plant's history, scientific analysis of the residue from the tank, and dissection of the subsequent government-controlled investigation, THE BLACK BOX OF BHOPAL separates fact from fiction, exposes widely-accepted myths as baseless, and provides an unbiased picture of the real causes behind this tragic event.

While presenting in-depth scientific analysis and evidence of the disaster’s causes, THE BLACK BOX OF BHOPAL is written in clear, accessible language that will lead readers to re-examine the facts surrounding the world’s worst industrial disaster. The book will be of particular interest to universities and industrial trade associations which wish to learn from this example.

The author, Dr. Themistocles D.J. D’Silva, is a recognized research scientist who holds over 65 patents, an author of several scientific publications, and a member of the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Having worked for Union Carbide for more than 20 years, Dr. D’Silva was a member of the scientific team which was commissioned to investigate the cause of the gas leak and the principal author of the scientific publication on the studies of MIC chemistry in the Bhopal incident. He currently lives in Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Dr. D’Silva wrote this book in order to place on record the facts surrounding this tragedy so that future recurrences can be avoided.