The processes by which waste or pollution may be managed at source are varied. These may involve changes in methods or technology, alteration in raw materials employed or a complete reformation of procedures. Commonly speaking, biotechnological interferences are predominantly limited to the earlier aspects, although they may also show instrumental in allowing procedural change. The major areas in which biological processes may be related fall into three broad classes, such as process changes, biological control and bio-substitutions.

In the following conversations of these three categories, it is not recommended that the examples mentioned are either exhaustive or comprehensive; they are basically intended to show the wide possible scope of uses open to biotechnology in uncontaminated and clean manufacturing. For accurately the reasons stated in respect of the financial aspects of these particular areas of industrial function, the scope is a fast developing one and many more sorts of biotechnological interferences are likely in future, particularly where commercial stresses derive a competitive benefit.

Process Changes

Replacement of existing chemical techniques of manufacturing with those depended on enzyme or microbial action is a significant potential area of preliminary contamination prevention and is one function in which the application of genetically modified microbes could increase to significant environmental advantage. Biological synthesis, either by isolated enzymes or by whole organisms, tends to work at lower temperatures or, consequences of high enzymatic specificity, provides a much purer products with fewer byproducts, consequently saving the extra cost of further cleansing. There are lots of examples of this type of industrial application of biotechnology. In cosmetics sector, there is a great demand for isopropyl myristate that is applied in moisturizing creams. The traditional method for its production has a large power requirement, since the procedure runs at high pressure and temperature to give a product that needs further treatment before it is appropriate for application. An alternative approach, utilizing enzyme-based esterification presents a method to reduce the overall adverse environmental impact by developing a cleaner, at higher yields, and odor-free product, with less waste for disposal and lower energy needs.

Biological Control

The use of herbicides and insecticides, particularly in the perspective of agricultural application, has been responsible for many examples of contamination and a number of the chemicals applied are extremely persistent in the environment. Although there has been a widespread swing away from high quantity chemicals and a generalized reduction in the application of recalcitrant pesticides, globally there presents a large market for this group of agrochemicals. So, this is one of the sectors where biotechnological uses may have important environmental impact, by presenting appreciably less harmful methods of insect management. The whole idea of biological control got a severe blow after widely reported, disastrous result of Australia's attempts to apply the Cane Toad to control cane beetle. On the other hand, in principle, the concept remains sound and significant research attempt has gone into planning biological systems to respond to the threat of pathogens and pests. Some of these, with reference to soil-borne bio-pesticides and plant pathogens, are discussed somewhere else in this work and do not warrant long reiteration here.

Biological control processes can provide an efficient way to mitigate insecticide use and thus the threat represented to public health and to the environment. In addition, unlike the majority pesticides, bio-controls are often extremely target-specific decreasing the risk to other non-pest species. On the other hand, biological measures characteristically demand much more careful planning and intensive management than the simple use of chemicals. Success is much dependent on a thorough realizing of the life-cycles of microbes involved and can frequently be higher of a long-term plan. Additionally, though high specificity is, usually, a major benefit of biological control measures, under several conditions, if accurately the correct measure is not set in position, it may also allow certain insects to carry on their harmful actions unabated. Allowing for the huge prevalence of insect species all over the world, many of them create a risk to crops or many other commodities.

Bio-substitutions

The bio-substitution of appropriate, less harmful options for many of today's contaminating materials or substances is a major probable avenue for the environmentally favorable use of biotechnology. The query of the major renewable and bio-fuels contribution which planned, large-scale biomass consumption could make to energy requirements. However, the other major utilize of mineral oils, like lubricants, is a superb case study of the prospects, and obstacles, adjacent biotech substitutes. Biodegradable options to conventional lubricating fuels have existed for several time, but in many methods they exemplify the stresses which work against original biological products.

About Author / Additional Info: