A key motivation behind the development and adoption of industrial biotechnology is the reduction of negative environmental impacts. However, accurately assessing these impacts remains a formidable task. Environmental impacts of industrial biotechnology may be significant across a number of categories that include, but may not be limited to, nonrenewable resource depletion, water withdrawals and consumption, climate change, and natural land transformation/occupation. In this chapter, we highlight some key environmental issues across two broad areas: (a) processes that use biobased feedstocks and (b) industrial activity that is supported by biological processes. We also address further issues in accounting for related environmental impacts such as geographic and temporal scope, co-product management, and uncertainty and variability in impacts. Case studies relating to (a) lignocellulosic ethanol, (b) biobased plastics, and (c) enzyme use in the detergent industry are then presented, which illustrate more specific applications. Finally, emerging trends in the area of environmental impacts of biotechnology are discussed.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/10_2019_98 | DOI Listing |
J Ambul Care Manage
January 2025
Author Affiliations: Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (Drs Wiskel and Dresser); Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, Boston, Massachusetts (Drs Wiskel and Dresser); Americares, Stamford, Connecticut (Mr Matthews-Trigg, Ms Stevens, and Dr Miles); and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Drs Wiskel, Dresser, and Bernstein).
Climate-sensitive extreme weather events are increasingly impacting frontline clinic operations. We conducted a national, cross-sectional survey of 284 self-identified administrators and other staff at frontline clinics determining their attitudes toward climate change and the impacts, resilience, and preparedness of clinics for extreme weather events. Most respondents (80.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Speech Lang Hear Res
January 2025
Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China.
Purpose: This study aims to examine the associations of phonological, lexical, and grammatical skills within and between languages in Mandarin-English bilingual preschoolers.
Method: Sixty-three Singaporean Mandarin-English bilingual children aged 3-5 years were assessed for articulation, receptive vocabulary, and receptive grammar using standardized instruments in English and compatible tools in Mandarin. Regression analyses were performed on each language outcome, with other language variables as predictors, controlling for age, nonverbal working memory, and home language environment.
Ecol Lett
January 2025
Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.
With many species interacting in nature, determining which interactions describe community dynamics is nontrivial. By applying a computational modeling approach to an extensive field survey, we assessed the importance of interactions from plants (both inter- and intra-specific), pollinators and insect herbivores on plant performance (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJAMA Netw Open
January 2025
Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle.
Importance: Timely access to care is a key metric for health care systems and is particularly important in conditions that acutely worsen with delays in care, including surgical emergencies. However, the association between travel time to emergency care and risk for complex presentation is poorly understood.
Objective: To evaluate the impact of travel time on disease complexity at presentation among people with emergency general surgery conditions and to evaluate whether travel time was associated with clinical outcomes and measures of increased health resource utilization.
J Air Waste Manag Assoc
January 2025
School of Emergency Management and Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, China.
Dust emissions from open-pit mining pose a significant threat to environmental safety and human health. Currently, the range of dust suppressants used in coal mining is limited, often failing to account for their suitability across various stockpiles. This oversight results in poor infiltration after application, leading to insufficient crust formation and reduced durability.
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