You Are What You Eat: Genetically Modified Foods, Integrity, and Society

Thus far, the moral debateconcerning genetically modified foods (GMF) hasfocused on extrinsic consequentialist questionsabout the health effects, environmental impacts,and economic benefits of such foods. Thisextrinsic approach to the morality of GMF isdependent on unsubstantiated empirical claimsand fails to account for the intrinsic moralvalue of food and food choice and theirconnection to the agent's concept of the goodlife. I develop a set of objections to GMFgrounded in the concept of integrity andmaintain that food and food choice can beintimately connected to the agent's personalintegrity. I argue that due to the constitutionof GMF and the manner in which they areproduced, such foods are incompatible with thefundamental values and integrity of certainindividual moral agents or groups. I identifythree types of integrity that are threatened byGMF: religious, consumer, and integrity basedon certain other moral or metaphysical grounds.I maintain that these types of integrity aresufficiently important to provide justificationfor political and societal actions to protectthe interests of those affected. I conclude byproposing specific steps for handling GMFconsistent with the moral principles ofinformed consent, non-maleficence, and respectfor the integrity of all members of society.They include mandatory labeling of GMF, theimplementation of a system for control andregulations concerning such foods, andguaranteed provision of conventional foods.     

中国科学技术协会五届二次全委会明年在京召开我会两名代表参加全会活动

中国科学技术协会五届二次全委会明年在京召开我会两名代表参加全会活动中国科协第五届全国委员会第二次会议将于１９９７年２月２２日至２４日在北京召开。我会副理事长、中国科协全国委员会委员程映雪教授作为正式代表，我会副秘书长、“中国安全科学学报”主编徐德蜀高...     

Women and biodiversity: The long journey from users to policy-makers

Although there has been a broad acknowledgment that women's local and traditional knowledge is fundamental to guarantee food security and conserve biological diversity, few women are represented at the managerial and decision‐making level of environmental movements and organizations. The United Nations, its agencies and agreements have long promoted the full and effective participation of women in decision‐making processes. So how can commitments contained in international agreements be translated into concrete actions? By using the case of the Convention on Biological Diversity, one of the key agreements adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, this article analyses how gender‐equitable initiatives tend to assume an ad hoc character with few governments effectively involving women in their sustainable development strategies. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the United Nations or its subsidiary bodies.     

Biological treatment of clogged emitters in a drip irrigation system

This study was conducted to investigate microbial organisms that can be used for preventing clogging in drip irrigation systems caused by biological factors. A total of 25 fungi isolate and 121 bacterial strains were isolated from water samples collected from drip irrigation systems in tomato greenhouses in the eastern Anatolia region of Turkey in the spring season of 2001. Biological clogging of emitters in a model drip irrigation system was experimentally caused by application of the microorganisms (fungi and bacteria) isolated in the study. Three antagonistic bacterial strains in the genus Bacillus spp (ERZ, OSU-142) and Burkholdria spp (OSU-7) were used for treatment of biological clogging of the emitters. The results showed that the antagonistic bacterial strains tested have the potential to be used as anti-clogging agents for treatment of emitters in drip irrigation system. This is the first study that demonstrated that antagonistic microorganisms can be utilized for treatment of clogging in drip irrigation systems.     

Herbicide toxicity,selectivity and hormesis of nicosulfuron on 10 Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera) species parasitizing Anagasta ( = Ephestia) kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs

Selective agrochemicals including herbicides that do not affect non-target organisms such as natural enemies are important in the integrated pest management (IPM) programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the herbicide toxicity, selectivity and hormesis of nicosulfuron, recommended for the corn Zea mays L. (Poaceae) crop, on 10 Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera) species. A female of each Trichogramma spp. or Trichogrammatoidea annulata De Santis, 1972 was individually placed in plastic test tubes (no choice) with a cardboard containing 45 flour moth Anagasta ( = Ephestia) kuehniella Zeller, 1879 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs. Parasitism by these natural enemies was allowed for 48 h and the cardboards were sprayed with the herbicide nicosulfuron at 1.50 L.ha^?1, along with the control (only distilled water). Nicosulfuron reduced the emergence rate of Trichogramma bruni Nagaraja, 1983 females, but increased that of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879, Trichogramma acacioi Brun, Moraes and Smith, 1984 and T. annulata females. Conversely, this herbicide increased the emergence rate of Trichogramma brasiliensis Ashmead, 1904, T. bruni, Trichogramma galloi Zucchi, 1988 and Trichogramma soaresi Nagaraja, 1983 males and decreased those of T. acacioi, Trichogramma atopovilia Oatman and Platner, 1983 and T. pretiosum males. In addition, nicosulfuron reduced the sex ratio of T. galloi, Trichogramma bennetti Nagaraja and Nagarkatti, 1973 and T. pretiosum and increased that of T. acacioi, T. bruni, T. annulata, Trichogramma demoraesi Nagaraja, 1983, T. soaresi and T. brasiliensis. The herbicide nicosulfuron was “harmless” (class 1, <30% reduction) for females and the sex ratio of all Trichogrammatidae species based on the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) classification. The possible hormesis effect of nicosulfuron on Trichogrammatidae species and on the bacterium Wolbachia sp. (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) was also discussed.     

AOX contamination status and genotoxicity of AOX-bearing pharmaceutical wastewater

Adsorbable organic halogens(AOX) are a general indicator for the total amount of compounds containing organically bonded halogens. AOX concentrations and components were investigated along the wastewater treatment process in four large-scale pharmaceutical factories of China, and genotoxicity based on the SOS/umu test was also evaluated. The results showed that AOX concentrations in wastewater of four factories ranged from 4.6 to 619.4 mg/L, which were high but greatly different owing to differences in the raw materials and products. The wastewater treatment process removed 50.0%–89.9% of AOX, leaving 1.3–302.5 mg/L AOX in the effluents. Genotoxicity levels ranged between 2.1 and 68.0 μg 4-NQO/L in the raw wastewater and decreased to 1.2–41.2 μg 4-NQO/L in the effluents of the wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs). One of the main products of factory I, ciprofloxacin, was identified as the predominant contributor to its genotoxicity. However, for the other three factories, no significant relationship was observed between genotoxicity and detected AOX compounds.     

生物炭环境效应和在农业面源污染防治中的作用

生物炭能够延缓肥料养分释放,提高肥料利用率,降低肥料及土壤养分流失,从而减轻农业面源污染。同时,生物炭进入土壤中,实现碳的封存固定,减少碳排放。     

工业废水的处理方法探讨

为实现水资源的循环利用与国民经济的可持续发展,必须对工业废水进行处理。在过去的几十年中,工业废水的任意排放给水资源环境和人民的身体健康带来了巨大的危害,为了杜绝这种现象的再次出现,本文对工业废水的处理方法做了如下的探讨。     

土著微生物修复城市小型湖泊实验研究

利用生物制剂及生物修复技术对鞍山市英泽湖进行了净化治理.研究结果表明,经过8～30 d的生物净化,该湖水中的COD、植物营养元素浓度及浊度都有了大幅度的下降.其中COD降至20 mg/L以下,去除率达到70%以上;氨氮降至0.2 mg/L以下,去除率达97%;总磷降低至0.02 mg/L以下,去除率达到60%以上;浊度...     

高温(70℃)玉米秸秆水解液产氢行为及群落结构

考察了高温条件下(70℃)牛粪堆肥、土壤、厌氧污泥、腐烂秸秆种接种物利用玉米秸秆水解液的产氢行为。结果表明:牛粪堆肥接种时达到最大的产气量(1355.7mL/L)和氢气产量(608.4mL/L),随后依次为腐烂秸秆、厌氧污泥和土壤。修改的Gompertz方程可以较好描述产氢量随时间变化趋势(R2>0.99)。牛粪堆肥接种时达到最大的产氢潜力(676.0mL/L),而土壤接种时的迟滞时间最小(9.8h)。DGGE图谱显示:不同接种物对应不同的微生物群落结构。Bacillus thermozeamaize,Enterobacter sp.JDM-19和Thermoanaerobacterium polysaccharolyticum strain,KMTHCJT和可能分别是牛粪堆肥,厌氧污泥和腐烂秸秆接种条件下的关键产氢微生物。