Fears over PX 'unfounded', experts say

The protest over a PX chemical plant by residents of Maoming, Guangdong province, shows that local authorities need to encourage public involvement in decision-making - particularly since PX represents a low risk to humans, experts said.

Xia Zhaolin, a professor of toxicology and a researcher on the effect of benzene on health at Fudan University, said he is surprised by the public's fear of PX - short for paraxylene, a basic material used in the manufacture of polyester and plastic bottles.

"My research area is the impact of chemicals on workers' health, and PX is not even a subject that interests me," he said.