Issues
Ethical Issues
are of whether or not it is right for humans to try to control and use our environment to benefit us. Also, there is debate about whether or not we should use such a technology when the possibility exists that organisms introduced for bioremediation could have unforeseen negative impacts on the environment, and, indirectly, on human beings." I1,I5
"Ethical concerns related to bioremediation are primarily those related to the creation and use of genetically modified organisms, as they can be used in bioaugmentation. Many people argue that it is not the place of human beings to alter DNA that has been created either through millions of years of evolution, or by God, or both. What's more, there are many potential risks associated with changing the genetic code of an organism, such as the possibilities of genetic cross-over and mutation, which could lead to an organism that might start working against us rather than for us. The ethical issues directly concerning the introduction of organisms to a habitat for bioremediation
Legal Issues
RCRA - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
"The RCRA protects communities and resource conservation. To achieve this, the United States EPA develops regulations, guidance and policies that ensure the safe management and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste, and programs that encourage source reduction and beneficial reuse." I3,I6
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CERCLA - the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund)
"In 1980, the act was passed in response to some alarming and decidedly unacceptable hazardous waste practices and management occuring in the 1970s. Its purpose is to identify sites where hazardous materials threaten the environment and or public health as a result of leakage, spillage, or general mismanagement, and then to identify the responsible party. The next (and most important) job-at-hand is clean-up (and to try to ensure the party responsible for the mess is also held responsible for the clean-up)." I2
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Social Issues
"Bioremediation is a low cost and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical processing of contaminated soils or water, but it suffers from a lack of reliability. With bacterial bioremediation, having to deal with heavy metal pollution is not a very reliable process and often fails to achieve the desired aims. Failure is ultimately associated with poor growth of the bacteria caused by inadequate nutrient and carbon sources, temperature, pH, salinity, toxins, or poor movement of bacteria through their new substrate." I4,I7
