for which prior data are not available. Consequently, the development of detailed chemical kinetic models would be of considerable usefulness in interpreting field measurements and in helping to direct future test burns in applied incineration research. In spite of their superior features, detailed chemical kinetic modeling will not have an impact on applied incineration research any time in the foreseeable future unless adequate and sustained funding of fundamental research becomes available. It takes a considerable amount of time, effort, and money, as well as the cooperative interaction of a broad spectrum of scientists and engineers, to generate the knowledge base needed for developing quantitative, detailed chemical kinetic models.
The future Having strong supportive fundamental research programs in incineration is paramount for the rational use of this technology in the management of hazardous wastes. Because such programs
currently do not exist, EPA must undertake a major initiative in this area and support high-quality scientific research that will create the knowledge base necessary to better accomplish its regulatory mission. This is most important, given the national and international impact of these regulations. It is also imperative that the public, the elected government officials, and the scientific and technical communities demand a scientifically strong EPA, so that environmental regulations can withstand rigorous scientific scrutiny.
References ( I ) Gerber, C. R. 3. Air Pollur. Control AsSOC. 1985.35. 749. ( 2 ) Oppelt, E. T. J . Air Pollur. Control APme. 1987.37, 558. (3) "Incineration of Liquid Hazardous Waster"; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Science Advisory Board: Washington, D.C.. April 1985. (4) Opportunities in Chemirrry: Pimentel. G.C.. Ed.; National Academy Press: Washington. D.C.. 1985. ( 5 ) Brown. G. E.; Byerly. R. Science 1981, 211. 1385. (6) Annual Report o/the Environmental Re-
search Grants Program: US. Environmental Protection Agency: Washington, D.C.. Fiscal Year 1987. (7) Graham, J . L.: Hall, D. L.; Dellinger, B. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1986.20, 703. (8) Tsang. W.; Shaub. W. In Detoxication o/ Hazardous Wosre; Exner. J . H . , Ed.; Ann Arbor Science: Ann Arbor. Mich.. 1982. (9) Valeiras. H.; Senkan. S. M. Combust. Sci. Technoi. 1984.36, 123. (IO) Fed. Regisr. Appendix VIII, Part 261, Jan. 22. 1981. (11) Chang. W. D.; Karra, S. B; Senkan, S . M. Combusr. Sci. Technoi. 1986.49. 107. (12) Senkan. S. M. Combust. Sri. Technol. 1984,38, 197. (13) Chang. W. D.; Senkan, S. M. Combust. Sci. Technol. 1985.43.49, (14) Chang. W. D.; Karra. S. B.; Senkan. S . M . Combust. Flome1987, 69. 113.
Selim M. Senkan is an associateprofessor of chemical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. One of his current research interests involves experimental and theoretical studies of the high-temperature oxidofion and pyrolysis of halogenated hydrocarbons.
Applying genetic ecology to environmental management By Betty H. Olson and Robert A. Goldstein During the last decade, research scientists have made advances in molecular genetics that are now ready to be applied to environmental problems facing the nation. Biotechnology based on genetic ecology provides a means for cleanup of toxic substances in situ. This
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new approach relies on a conceptual framework founded in genetics and ecology. Paramount among the disciplines and subdisciplines that will contribute a knowledge base to this endeavor is molecular microbial ecology. For the first time in history, successful methods have been developed for intervention at the genetic level to enhance pollution cleanup. Extrapolating
upon previous attempts at biological manipulation aimed at altering bacterial communities, this innovative method alters systems at the level of greatest control-the genes. This new approach does not involve the introduction of genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMS), but rather enhances of the capabilities of the natural community through gene amplification and increased expression. Genetic ecology can be applied to the management of potentially toxic chemicals in the environment. The prime objective for the management of organics is complete and rapid degradation in Situ. For metals, the objective is to control biogeochemical cycling by concentrating an element in a chemical species or an environmental compartment that minimizes availability and toxicity to biota. Management strategies based on microbial genetic systems may be considerably more effective, efficient, and less costly than conventional biotechnologies and chemical and physical processes for waste cleanup. Genetic ecology suggests control of an ecosystem compartment (i.e., soil,
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interest to the detoxification process. Genetic amplification and clonal expansion are two means of increasing genetic potential. Clonal expansion is simple growth whereas amplification either increases the number of genes of interest in organisms that already possess those genes or transfers the genes to segments of the microbial community that do not possess them. Clonal expansion operates at the level of the organism and thus does not have the fine-tuning capabilities of amplification. Also, expression may be enhanced through very specific manipulations. Many of the genes identified as affecting biogeochemical cycling, biodegradation, and biotransformation of sediment, or water column) through the cesses such as plasmid copy number or toxic substances are located on plasamplification of a given set of genes transposition and extracellular pro- mids or associated with transposons, and through enhanced expression. Thus cesses such as conjugation, transforma- discrete genetic sequences that can dugenetic ecology differs from current tion, or transduction. Here the ap- plicate themselves. These genes are biocontrol processes that act at the level proach differs from the introduction of ideal candidates for in situ enhanceof the community. An underlying as- GEMS, where all effom are made to ment. Although many of the techniques sumption of such an approach is that it limit or ensure against genetic ex- for enhancement are currently confined is easier to alter the population dy- change. Genetic ecology tries to perfect to the laboratory or hioreactor, enough namics of a given gene or a set of genes a mechanism for harnessing the natural basic information exists to apply these (an operon) than to alter the population degradative genetic potential and am- techniques to in situ optimization of of a microbial species. plifying it as an effective means of con- gene amplification or expression. ManConceptually, a species of organism trol. agement strategies would therefore be is more tightly confined to a given Management strategies based on ge- based on manipulating environmental niche by the overall biotic and abiotic netic manipulation through natural pro- factors to alter genetic potential and exstructure of its environment than are cesses are founded on the concepts of pression. An additional advantage of genes. Any attempt to change the niche genetic potential, genetic expression, such strategies is the negation of the volume of an indigenous organism or to genetic amplification, and clonal ex- need to introduce genetically engiplace a new organism into an existing pansion. Genetic potential, which is de- neered organisms, an action that has community will likely require a more termined through DNA probe technol- met with strong public opposition. extensive degree of environmental ma- ogy, measures the maximum function In managing wastes in the environnipulation. The outcome of such ma- based on the amount of genes control- ment, the ideal situation is to avoid exnipulations are also likely to be difficult ling the process. Genetic expression, cavation and transport of toxic materito predict, as has been the case with on the other hand, measures the actual als. A strategy based on genetic conventional biocontrol technologies. function given the environmental con- ecology would allow in situ treatment straints. Potential may far exceed ex- by amplification of the genes and enAdvantages of genetic wntml pression because of suboptimal condi- hanced expression, which would drive The potential advantage of manage- tions for microbial metabolism. the desired degradation and transforment based on manipulation at the geFurther, degradative genes of interest mation processes in the indigenous minetic level versus the manipulation of may exist in only a small segment of the crobial community. organisms is the level of control. Con- community. Thus nutrient manipulaFurther, in a few cases it is known trol of function lies within the genetic tions often increase a high proportion that microbial action on pollutants prosystem. A specific gene or an operon of the community that is of no direct duces more toxic products. In such indirectly controls only one specific biodegradation or biotransformation process, whereas an organism conducts hundreds of functions. Therefore, manipulating a population of organisms directly affects multiple processes, whereas manipulation at the level of an operon affects only one. Phenotypic manipulation at the community level can be viewed as a coarse environmental tuning system, and genetic manipuat the lation a fine-tuning system. Additional properties of genetic sysof tems that enhance management potential are unique base-pair sequences of DNA facilitating tracking and quantification of specific genes in the environment. Specific genes can be increased in number either by intracellular pro-
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management based on d p & o n genetic level versus manipulation organisms is the
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stances this approach could be used to minimize expression of the responsible genes. Thus, operating directly on genetic potential and expression promises a new approach to managing waste substances in the environment through expanded application of molecular techniques.
ager at the Electric Pow& Risearch Institute in Pal0 Alto, Cali$
Environmental awards Winners of the 1988 Graduate Student Awards in Environmental Chemistry
The ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry is in the third year of its program of awards for graduate students. Ronald A. Hites announced the winners earlier this year. Hites, a professor of chemistry in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University at Bloomington, was chairman of the awards committee during 1987. The 1988 awards committee also included Alan W. Elzerman of Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.; Herbert E. Allen of Drexel University in Philadelphia; Roger W. Minear of the University of Illinois in Urbana, Ill.; and Stanton S . Miller of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C. V Dean A h of Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville, Tenn.), chairman of the Division of Environmental Chemistry, noted that 43 candidates competed for this year's awards and that he is looking forward to next year's program of awards. The awards consist of one-year memberships in the division and one-year subscriptions to Environmental Science & Technology. We extend congratulations to the following 21 graduate students who are the winners for 1988:
Tak& Arakaki, a chemical oceanographer at Texas A & M University, is working on the iron sulfide problem. Joel Eric Baker of the University of Minnesota is an environmental engineer working on the cycle of organic contaminants in large lakes. Gaboury Benoit is an aquatic scientist specializing in aquatic science at Michigan State University; he is studying the biochemistry of lead-210 and polonium-210 in freshwaters and sediments. Greg Butters, a soil physicist at the University of California, Riverside, is 372 Environ. Sci.Technol.,Val. 22. No. 4, l9P.R
doing research on the field-scale transport of bromide through unsaturated soil. Yu-Ping Chin is an aquatic chemist at the University of Michigan. His field of study is the sorption of organic compounds by soils and sediments. Gary !F Curtis, an environmental chemist at Stanford University, is doing thesis work on the abiotic reduction of chlorinated hydrocarbons and the simultaneous oxidation of ferrous ironbearing minerals. Edward Franzblau is an atmospheric chemist at the New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology. He is studying the production and conversion of NO, by lightning. Kenneth Michael Hart, an environmental scientist at the Oregon Graduate Center in Beaverton, is studying trace organic compounds in the atmosphere. Diane M. HmIIaM is an atmospheric chemist at the University of Maryland at College Park. Her area of research is the receptor modeling of global particles collected at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii. Jnon-Wnn Kang specializes in environmental and occupational health science at the University of California, Los Angeles. His work involves advanced oxidation processes for the treatment of organic contaminants in drinking water. Anil Kumsr, an organic chemist at the University of Connecticut, has chosen photochemical transformations and the degradation of toxic compounds and environmental pollutants as his field of study. Brent L. Lewis, a chemical oceanographer at Florida State University, is working on trace metal geochemistry in the Black Sea, with emvhasis on iron bpeciation in an anoxic basin. Winston T. Luke, a chemist at the University of Maryland at College
Park, is preparing his dissertation on airborne measurements of the tropospheric trace gases NO, NO,, NO,, CO, and ozone. Tom McDonald is a chemical oceanographer at Texas A & M University. He is studying volatile organic compounds in marine sediments. Terese M. Olson specializes in water chemistry at the California Institute of Technology. Her work encompasses kinetics, mechanisms, and thermodynamics of S(1V)-aldehyde adduct in aqueous solution. Debra R. Reinhart, an environmental engineer at Georgia Institute of Technology, is working on the fate of selected organic pollutants codisposed with municipal refuse. James R. Rhea is an environmental enginmr at Clarkson University. His work involves the evaluation of the alkalinity flux from sediments of calcitetreated acidic lakes. Kevin G . Robinson, an environmental chemist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, is working on the sorption and biodegradation of aromatic organic compounds in model and natural subsurface systems. Lucinda B. Sonnenherg is an environmental chemist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is studying the reductive degradation of aquatic humic material for structural characterization. John Storey, an environmental chemist at Duke University, is studying the effects of hydration on surface charge and transport of organic liquids through porous media. Peter D. Tsakanikas is enrolled in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Arizona. He is workina on an approach to estimating melting Fopenieiand aqueous soluhic iry of environmentally important flexible molecules.
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