Biological and Environmental Impacts

Pelecaniformes (pelicans, boobies, gannets, cormorants, frigatebirds, tropicbirds) 17 11 7 

Charadriiformes (shorebirds, skuas, gulls, terns, auks) 51 23 40 

Plastic sheeting reaching the seafloor can inhibit gas exchange between substrate pore waters and overlying seawater. This may induce anoxia and hypoxia in blanketed sediments [16, 17]. Interference with meiofaunal and floral conununity compositions and densities has also been reported [80]. 

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There were 37 distinct enzymes that contain molybdenum or tungsten known by the end of 1997. The enzymes are diverse in function, broadly distributed, and include oxidases, reductases, dehydrogenases, a transhydroxylase, and a hydratase. The Mo enzymes are found in eubacteria, archae, protista, fungi, plants, and animals (including humans) and are essential for respiration and carbon and nitrogen assimilation. Several of the enzymatic substrates and products are key components in the nitrogen, sulfur, selenium, carbon, and arsenic cycles and have major biological and environmental impact. 

Cserhati T., E. Forgacs, and G. Oros (2002). Biological activity and environmental impact of anionic surfactants. Environment International 28 337-348. 

Synthetic dyes are extensively used in many up-to-date industrial processes and research, mainly in the preparation of textile, food, and leather products, as well as in cosmetics and medicine. The widespread application of synthetic dyes has resulted in serious environmental pollution Their occurrence in ground water and waste-water and the accumulation in sediment, soil, and various biological tissues has often been observed and reported. Dyes and intermediates can cause abnormal reproductive function in males and show marked toxic effects toward bacteria. The rate of biodegradation of the majority of synthetic dyes is very low, enhancing the toxicological hazard and environmental impact. 

The process limitations and environmental impact of combined biological and physicochemical PAC process systems are identical to those of the PAC physicochemical process. Readers are referred to Section 9.3.5. Additional information on carbon adsorption and combined biological and physicochemical PAC process systems may be found in the literature (43-51). 

The Malaysian Department of Environment recommended that the different project phases of exploration, development, operation, and rehabilitation are evaluated due to their environmental, biological, and socioeconomic impact. Once the possible environmental impacts are assessed, the project initiator must identify and indicate the possible mitigation measures to be taken with a purpose of controlling the environmental pollution. Compliance auditing is performed during the assessment to check whether the project complies with environmental protection standards. 

The human health and environmental factors are then multiplied by the exposure potential which includes parameters expressing biological oxygen demand half-life, hydrolysis half-life and an aquatic bioconcentration factor. It is felt that this system is probably one of the better impact assessment systems available today because it assigns impact values based on quantitative scientific data rather than subjective concern over a chemical which is often based on perception rather than scientific data. On the other hand, the bioaccumulation and persistence factors have already been shown to be not particularly relevant to metals per se. In the future, alternative evaluation systems such as solubility and transformation characteristics of metals and metal compounds, and models such as the biotic ligand model will be found to be much more appropriate for evaluating the human health and environmental impacts of battery metals. 

The accurate and reliable determination of plutonium in biological and environmental samples is important because of the potential impact of this element on public health. Analytical methods used to measure plutonium in biological and environmental media are highly refined compared to other transuranics. 

Ververidis F, Trantas E, Douglas C, VoUmer G, Kretzschmar G, Panopoulos N (2007) Biotechnology of flavonoids and other phenylpropanoid-derived natural products. Part I chemical diversity, impacts rai plant biology and human health. Biotechnol J 2 1214-1234 Downey MO, Dokoozlian NK, Kistic MP (2006) Cultural practice and environmental impacts on the fiavonoid composition of grapes and wine a review of recent research. Am J Enol Vitic 57 257-268... 

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