The science and intricacy of environmental safety evaluations

• Published in: Trends in biotechnology (Regular ed.) Vol. 15; no. 9; pp. 342 - 349
• Main Authors: Käppeli, Othmar, Auberson, Lillian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.1997; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; biological control agents; Biotechnology; Biotechnology - trends; Containment of Biohazards; Environment; Environment and pollution; Environmental Health; environmental impact; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genetic engineering; Genetic Engineering - adverse effects; Genetically engineered organisms behavior (microorganisms, plants, animals); genetically modified organisms; human health and safety; Humans; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; recombinant DNA; Risk Assessment; Safety; transgenic plants; Recombinant microorganism; Transgenic animal; Accident prevention; Environment; Transgenic plant; Regulation; Risk analysis; Biological contamination; Hazard; General study
• ISSN: 0167-7799; 1879-3096
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-7799(97)01083-4

Safety issues in biotechnology are subject to considerable controversy in public debate. Public concern is focused in particular on the degree of uncertainty associated with inadvertent and unforeseeable impacts of the deliberate or accidental release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment. The objective of this article is to demonstrate that there is a factual, scientific basis to environmental safety issues, by means of which the real, case-specific hazards requiring serious consideration by scientists, representatives of regulatory agencies and the public can be distinguished from conjectural hazards and naturally occurring background processes.