Environmental Biotechnology - Jordening and Winter







Preface

Josef Winter, Claudia Gallert, Universitنt Karlsruhe, Germany

Hans-Joachim Jِrdening, Technische Universitنt Braunschweig, Deutschland



The growing awareness of environmental problems, caused especially by the predominate

use of fossil resources in connection with pure chemical pathways of production,

has led the focus on those alternatives, which sounds environmentally

more

friendly. Here, biotechnology has the chance to influence and improve the

quality

of the environment and production standards by:

–

introduction of renewable instead of fossil raw materials

– controlled production of very specific biocatalysts for the

– development of new and environmentally improved production technologies with

less purified substrates and generation of fewer by-products – bioproducts as non-toxic matters, mostly recyclable.





Some impressive studies on industrial applications of biotechnology are published

in two OECD reports, which summarized, that biotechnology has the potential of a

reduction of operational and/or capital cost for the realization of more sustainable

processes (OECD1, OECD2). However, until today the sustainability of technical

processes is more the exception than the rule and therefore so-called “End-of-Pipe”technologies

are absolutely necessary for the treatment of production residues.



In 1972 the Club of Rome published its study “Limits of Growth” and prognosted

an upcoming shortage of energy and primary resources as a consequence of exponential

growth of population and industry (Meadows et al. 1972). Although the

quantitative

prognoses of Dennis Meadows and his research team have not been fulfilled,

the qualitative statements are today well accepted. Aside of a shortage of resources

for production of commodities the limits for an ecologically and economically

compatible disposal of production residues and stabilized wastes have to be

more

and more taken into consideration. The limits for disposal of solid and liquid

pollutants

in soil and water or of waste gases in the atmosphere are a major issue,

since

soil, water and air are no longer able to absorb/adsorb these emissions without

negative

consequences for ecology and life in general. The ultimate oxidation product

of organic residues by incineration or – more smooth – by biological respiration

inaquatic or terrestric environment led to a significant increase of the carbon

diox-ide content of the atmosphere in the last centuries and thus influences the overall

climate. This increase is abundantly attributed to combustion of fossil fuels by traffic

and of fossil fuels and coal for industrial production processes and house heating.

Increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from incineration

of fossil energy sources and from decomposition of organic matter are the main

reason

for the greenhouse effect.





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