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Assessing Ecological Risks of Biotechnology
- 1st Edition - October 22, 2013
- Editor: Lev R. Ginzburg
- Language: English
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 1 - 4 8 3 2 - 8 9 4 8 - 9
Assessing Ecological Risks of Biotechnology presents a comprehensive analysis of ecological risk assessment for biotechnology as viewed predominantly by scientists doing research… Read more
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Request a sales quoteAssessing Ecological Risks of Biotechnology presents a comprehensive analysis of ecological risk assessment for biotechnology as viewed predominantly by scientists doing research in this area, but also by regulators, philosophers, and research managers. The emphasis is on the ecological risks associated with the release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment. The book contains 17 chapters that are organized into four parts. Part I discusses the ecological experience gained from previous biological introductions. Part II explores the ecology and the genetics of microbial communities. Emphasis is given to the transport of microorganisms since one of the major ecological concerns about biotechnology is the danger of the spread of genetically engineered organisms to ecosystems other than the one to which they are released. Part III reviews mathematical models that can be used for ecological risk assessment at four different levels. Part IV concerns the regulation of biotechnology, current research trends, and social values.
Preface
Part I. Experience with Introduced Organisms
1. Keystone Species and Community Effects of Biological Introductions
1.1 Quantitative Estimates
1.2 Determinants of Major Ecological Effects
1.3 Species that Constitute New Habitats
1.4 Species that Modify Existing Habitat
1.5 Keystone Species that Do Not Initially Change Habitats
1.6 Synergisms and Invasions by Entire Communities
1.7 Conclusions
References
2. Planned Introductions in Biological Control
2.1 Classical Biological Control
2.2 Environmental Impact of Introduced Biological-Control Agents
2.3 Concluding Remarks
References
Part II. Ecology and Genetics of Microbial Populations
3. Surface Transport of Microorganisms by Water
3.1 Role of the Application Form
3.2 Runoff Effects
3.3 Microorganism-Release Characteristics
3.4 Case Studies
3.5 Buffer Areas and Vegetative Filters
3.6 Modeling Microorganism Movement
3.7 Summary
References
4. Soil and Groundwater Transport of Microoganisms
4.1 Overview of Issues Relating to the Survival of GEMs
4.2 Transport of Microorganisms in Soil and Subsurface Environments
4.3 Summary
References
5. Aerial Dispersal of Bacteria
5.1 Sources and Take-off
5.2 Aerial Transport
5.3 Deposition
5.4 Fate of Deposited Bacteria
5.5 The Overall Process
References
6. Factors Affecting the Transfer of Genetic Information Among Microorganisms in Soil
6.1 The Soil Ecosystem
6.2 Microbial Interactions
6.3 Monitoring GEMs in Soil
6.4 Gene Transfer in Soil
6.5 Effects of Physicochemical Factors of Soil on Gene Transfer
6.6 Conclusions
References
7. Genetic Exchange and Genetic Stability in Bacterial Populations
7.1 Sexuality in Bacteria
7.2 The Possibility of Genetic Exchange Between Species
7.3 Interspecific Gene Transfer and Its Consequences
7.4 Conclusions
References
Part III. Mathematical Models in Biotechnology Risk Assessment
8. Models for the Population Dynamics of Transposable Elements in Bacteria
8.1 Background and Terminology
8.2 Models
8.3 Conclusions
References
9. Quantifying Fitness and Gene Stability in Microorganisms
9.1 General Principles
9.2 Methodological Issues
9.3 Specific Methods for Estimating Parameters
9.4 Caveats and Assumptions
9.5 Summary and Conclusions
References
10. Quantifying the Risks of Invasion by Genetically Engineered Organisms
10.1 Risk Assessment Using Extreme Value Distribution
10.2 Discussion
References
11. Quantifying the Spread of Recombinant Genes and Organisms
11.1 Review of Spread Models
11.2 Using Field Data to Simulate Short-Term Spread
11.3 Some General Lessons from Existing Theory on Spread
11.4 The Nature of the Data Available from Field Releases
11.5 Final Remarks
References
Part IV. Regulation, Research Trends, and Social Values
12. Regulation of Biotechnology by the Environmental Protection Agency
12.1 Background
12.2 Statutory Arguments
12.3 Specific EPA Changes for Regulating Biotechnology
12.4 Regulatory Considerations for the Future
12.5 Conclusions
References
13. Ecological Considerations in EPA's Review for Field Tests of Genetically Engineered Organisms
13.1 Regulation by the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)
13.2 Regulation by the Office of Toxic Substances (OTS)
13.3 Case Studies of 12 Applications
13.4 Evaluation of the Case Studies
13.5 Emphasis on Ecological Considerations by the EPA
14. Regulation and Oversight of Biotechnological Applications for Agriculture and Forestry
14.1 Present Organizational Structures and Coordination
14.2 Historical Perspective on Research Guidelines
14.3 Development of USD A Research Guidelines
14.4 USDA Regulations for Biotechnology
14.5 Summary
References
15. Ecological Risk Assessment and European Community Biotechnology Regulation
15.1 Approaches to Regulation in European Countries
15.2 Toward Community-Wide Regulation
15.3 Involvement of the EC in the Regulation of Biotechnology
15.4 A Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology
15.5 Regulation of Deliberate Releases
15.6 Conclusions and Recommendations
References
16. Ecological Risk Analysis of Biotechnological Waste Decontamination
16.1 Applications of Biotechnology to Waste Treatment
16.2 The Need to Identify and Assess Environmental Risks
16.3 Scientific Issues
16.4 EPRI's Risk Analysis Research Strategy
16.5 Conclusion
References
17. On Making Nature Safe for Biotechnology
17.1 The Effects of Domesticated Species
17.2 The Effects of Biotechnology on Wild and Natural Ecosystems
17.3 New Fish for Old
17.4 Biotechnology and the Return of Land to Nature
17.5 Ecological Science and the Fate of Nature
17.6 The Policy Issues
17.7 Another View of Risk
References
Index
- No. of pages: 432
- Language: English
- Edition: 1
- Published: October 22, 2013
- Imprint: Butterworth-Heinemann
- eBook ISBN: 9781483289489
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