scholarly journals Problem formulation for gene drive mosquitoes designed to reduce malaria transmission in Africa: results from four regional consultations 2016–2018

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Teem ◽  
Aggrey Ambali ◽  
Barbara Glover ◽  
Jeremy Ouedraogo ◽  
Diran Makinde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Problem Formulation ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Gene Drive ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Protection Goals

Abstract Background Gene drive mosquitoes have been proposed as a possible means to reduce the transmission of malaria in Africa. Because this technology has no prior use-history at this time, environmental risk assessments for gene drive mosquitoes will benefit from problem formulation—an organized and ordered process to identify protection goals and potential pathways to harm to the environment, or animal or human health. Recognizing this need, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), with support from African and international partners, organized four regional consultative workshops in Africa to initiate this process. Methods The workshops were attended by a diverse set of participants and stakeholders, including scientists, ethicists, health professionals, government regulators in the fields of environment health and biosafety as well government policymakers, who met for 4 days to deliberate on protection goals and pathways relevant to the use of gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control. The goal of the workshops was not to produce a comprehensive and detailed environmental risk assessment of gene drive mosquitoes, but rather to introduce problem formulation as a tool to the stakeholder community, and to serve as a starting point for conducting systematic environmental risk assessments in the future, identifying protection goals related to gene drive mosquitoes that are particular to African stakeholders. Results Participants in the workshops frequently identified human health and biodiversity as being relevant broad protection goals. Results of the deliberations provide insight into the concerns of African participants at an early stage in the development of gene drive organism/products that should be instructive to developers using this technology. Conclusions In general, the African participants of the consultations had a precautionary perspective with regard to environmental risk assessment of gene drive technology. As gene drive technology develops, protection goals will become further refined and candidate products will be further defined. These workshops represent only the beginning of a continuing process that will ultimately inform environmental risk assessment for gene drive mosquitoes to control malaria in Africa.

Risk assessment

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kušić ◽  
A. Lončarić Božić
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Estimation ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Effect Assessment ◽  
Basic Concepts

Abstract The chapter introduces risk assessment and examines the basic concepts of risk and hazard, their causes, consequences and probabilities. The methodology of environmental risk assessment including effect assessment, exposure assessment and risk estimation/characterisation is overviewed. Application of risk assessment for chemicals is described with regard to human health and the environment. Some of the commonly used techniques in risk assessments are introduced and illustrated by examples. Environmental risk assessment should provide input to the risk management so well-informed decisions can be made, to protect human health and the environment.

Problem Formulation and Option Assessment (PFOA) Linking Governance and Environmental Risk Assessment for Technologies: A Methodology for Problem Analysis of Nanotechnologies and Genetically Engineered Organisms

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 732-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen C. Nelson ◽  
David A. Andow ◽  
Michael J. Banker
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Problem Formulation ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Problem Analysis ◽  
Cartagena Protocol On Biosafety ◽  
Living Modified Organisms ◽  
Genetically Engineered Organisms

Societal evaluation of new technologies, specifically nanotechnology and genetically engineered organisms (GEOs), challenges current practices of governance and science. When a governing body is confronted by a technology whose use has potential environmental risks, some form of risk analysis is typically conducted to help decision makers consider the range of possible benefits and harms posed by the technology. Environmental risk assessment (ERA) is a critical component in the governance of nanotechnology and genetically engineered organisms because the uncertainties and complexities surrounding these technologies pose such risk potential. However, GEOs are unique technologies, and there is widespread, international recognition (e.g., the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety of Living Modified Organisms) that many traditional forms of ERA are not well-suited for evaluating them. Nanotechnology products are also likely to need different models of risk assessment, as there is very little information on their fate, transport, and impacts in the environment.

Nano-QSAR modeling for ecosafe design of heterogeneous TiO2-based nano-photocatalysts

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1150-1160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicja Mikolajczyk ◽  
Agnieszka Gajewicz ◽  
Ewa Mulkiewicz ◽  
Bakhtiyor Rasulev ◽  
Martyna Marchelek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment ◽  
Engineered Nanomaterials ◽  
Qsar Modeling ◽  
High Interest

The human health and environmental risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials (NPs) is nowadays of high interest.

Environmental safety assessment of plants expressing RNAi for pest control.

2021 ◽  
pp. 117-130
Author(s):  
Salvatore Arpaia ◽  
Olivier Christiaens ◽  
Paul Henning Krogh ◽  
Kimberly M Parker
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Problem Formulation ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Risk Assessment Process

Abstract This chapter focuses on the importance of problem formulation (PF) in the environmental risk assessment process, which involves the identification of the possible hazards associated with a stressor, i.e. transgenic RNAi expressing plants or RNAi-based pesticides. The risk hypotheses developed from the PF that can be used to hypothesize pathways to risk and support the design of experimental studies to determine environmental impacts are also discussed.

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