Abstract
Genetic engineering offers the promise of major advances in many areas of science, including agriculture, medicine, and chemical manufacturing [1]. Products of this technology, however, may also pose unknown risks to human health and the environment. Recent surveys show that while 62% of the public believe that genetic engineering will improve the quality of life, 52% think that it is inherently dangerous [2]. As with any new product, anticipated benefits must be balanced with potential risks. Before this task can be accomplished, however, a framework must be established to assess the risks associated with deliberate environmental releases of genetically altered organisms.
Research was sponsored by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency under Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Contract No. DE-AC05–84OR21400 with the U. S. Department of Energy. Accordingly, the U. S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for U. S. Government purposes.
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Travis, C.C., Hattemer-Frey, H.A. (1988). Risk Assessment Strategies for Biotechnology. In: Fiksel, J., Covello, V.T. (eds) Safety Assurance for Environmental Introductions of Genetically-Engineered Organisms. NATO ASI Series, vol 18. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73169-3_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73169-3_5
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