Biotechnology+in+the+Environment

 Topic Four 
 * 1) One of the biggest environmental problems is how to clean up toxic wastes left pver from years of careless or released into the enivronment by accident or negligence.
 * 2) Sometimes some soil or water that contaiminated with toxic material is removed from a site and then transported to a special facility for storage and treatment.
 * 3) In 1980s, scientists began to look for wats to use micro-organisims to break down the complex compounds in toxic waste.
 * 4) Chemical pesticides are poisons used to kill a variety of different organisms that damage crops.
 * 5) One of the first attemps at large-scale bioremediation occurred off the coast of Alaska in 1989 after the oil tanker (Exxon Valdez) ran aground, releasing42 million L of crude oil.
 * 6) The oil spread down the coast of Alaska and killed thousands of animals.
 * 7) Biologists reported that 33 000 sea birds, 146 bald eagles, and 980 sea otters had bee nfound dead.
 * 8) Heavy metals, such as mercury, copper, zinc, and lead are pollutans that can result in damage to nervous, circulatory, digestive, and reproductive systems of humans and other organisims.
 * 9) The loss of biodiversity (variety of species) is a major concern today. For example, overfishing, pollution, and global climate chang threaten to reduce the diversity of marine life throughout the world.
 * 10) A compoud from the deep-sea bacterium that can be used to unhibit the HIV virus that causes AIDS.