The national biological impact assessment program∗

The need to safely field test genetically modified organisms is a critical step in the sequence of research leading to the commercialization of biotechnology in agriculture. To address this need the United States Department of Agriculture has established the National Biological Impact Assessment Program (NBIAP) to facilitate the safe field testing of genetically modified organisms. NBIAP fosters safe field testing of genetically modified organisms through a computerized network for information exchange, facilitation of biological monitoring techniques and by providing support for research in biosafety to develop new field testing methods and better predictive models.     

A Survey of Graduate Education in Hazardous Waste Management

A brief, informal survey questionnaire was sent to 69 universities in the U.S. Forty-two schools responded. Of the 42 respondents, 30 offered one or more courses in hazardous waste management. The average number of courses offered was 1.76 at an average frequency of once per year. Approximately 400 students take the hazardous waste management courses each year. Only four schools provided explicit laboratory training in hazardous waste analysis/treatment. Sixty-nine percent of the respondents have a research program in hazardous waste management. Typical course outlines are presented. Equipment needs for a hazardous waste laboratory are suggested.     

“Unwritten,unsaid, just known”: the role of Indigenous knowledge(s) in water planning in Australia

Water planning processes in Australia have struggled to account for Indigenous interests and rights in water, including the use of Indigenous knowledge in water management. In exploring the role of Indigenous knowledge in government-led water planning processes, how might tensions between Western scientific and Indigenous knowledges be lessened? Drawing on two case studies from northern Australia we examine how Indigenous knowledge is represented and managed as a different social knowledge to that of Western science in a management context where legal and planning conventions assume priority. The role of Indigenous (social) knowledges in developing options and strategies for sustainable water management is contingent upon the participation of Indigenous people in water planning. We suggest that water planning processes must contain the possibility of an explicit approach to mutual recognition and consequent translation of the conceptual and pragmatic bases of water management and planning in both Western scientific and Indigenous domains.     

Relationships between developmental instability in morphological characters and fitness of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphis fabae</Emphasis> population reared on two host plants

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and the coefficient of within-environment variation (CV _e) are often used as measures of developmental instability and indicators of developmental deviations. Aphis fabae genotypes generally manifest higher developmental instability on novel host plants, but there is genotypic variability in this respect. Some genotypes have manifested lower developmental instability on nasturtium, where their fitness is higher. At the population level, aphids reared on nasturtium have shown higher developmental instability and lower fitness. When large samples are analyzed and the nonsignificant pattern of correlations is taken into account, the results of the study do not support the hypothesis that developmental instability is always a reliable indicator of fitness. Published in Russian in Ekologiya, 2007, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 131–136. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Determination of the compositional change (1999–2006) in the pine forests of British Columbia due to mountain pine beetle infestation

The current mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) outbreak in British Columbia and Alberta is the largest recorded forest pest infestation in Canadian history. We integrate a spatial hierarchy of mountain pine beetle and forest health monitoring data, collected between 1999 and 2006, with provincial forest inventory data, and generate three information products representing 2006 forest conditions in British Columbia: cumulative percentage of pine infested by mountain pine beetle, percentage of pine uninfested, and the change in the percentage of pine on the landscape. All input data were formatted to a standardized spatial representation (1 ha minimum mapping unit), with preference given to the most detailed monitoring data available at a given location for characterizing mountain pine beetle infestation conditions. The presence or absence of mountain pine beetle attack was validated using field data (n?=?2054). The true positive rate for locations of red attack damage over all years was 92%. Classification of attack severity was validated using the Kruskal gamma statistic (γ?=?0.49). Error between the survey data and field data was explored using spatial autoregressive (SAR) models, which indicated that percentage pine and year of infestation were significant predictors of survey error at α?=?0.05. Through the integration of forest inventory and infestation survey data, the total area of pine infested is estimated to be between 2.89 and 4.14 million hectares. The generated outputs add value to existing monitoring data and provide information to support management and modeling applications.     

Evaluating the cytotoxicity of palladium/magnetite nano-catalysts intended for wastewater treatment

Palladium/magnetite nanoparticulate catalysts were developed for efficient elimination of halogenated organic pollutants from contaminated wastewater. Particle recovery from treated water can be ensured via magnetic separation. However, in worst-case scenarios, this catalyst removal step might fail, leading to particle release into the environment. Therefore, a toxicological study was conducted to investigate the impact of both pure magnetite and palladium/magnetite nanoparticle exposure upon human skin (HaCaT) and human colon (CaCo-2) cell lines and a cell line from rainbow trout gills (RTgill-W1). To quantify cell viability after particle exposure, three endpoints were examined for all tested cell lines. Additionally, the formation of reactive oxygen species was studied for the human cells. The results showed only minor effects of the particles on the tested cell systems and support the assumption that palladium/magnetite nano-catalysts can be implemented for a new wastewater treatment technology in which advantageous catalyst properties outweigh the risks.     

Landfill Leachate Ecotoxicity Experiments using Lemna minor

The effects of varying concentrations of landfill leachate on the growth, frond area, chlorophyll content and fluorescence of four strains of Lemna minor were assessed. Growth fluorescence and frond chlorophyll content decreased after seven days exposure to leachate, although responses differed between the strains and end parameters. A L. minor bioassay was used to assess leachate toxicity and the effectiveness of a constructed wetland treatment system and pre-treatment aeration and settlement in reducing toxicity. Pre-treatments were found to significantly reduce toxicity, so their incorporation in any treatment system may increase pollutant stripping.