Biotech Crops for Ecology and Environment

Abstract

Environmental pollution is a serious problem plaguing humanity, modern human society and the quality of human life all across the globe. Chemical pollution is a potent source of ecological and environmental degradation in recent times because of the extensive use of chemicals in our modern life (Gray 2006; Datta Banik et al. 2007). Environmentally toxic chemicals range from a wide diversity of different functional groups and species. They include: toxicants, irritants, mutagens, clastogens, carcinogens, teratogens, plastics, xenobiotics, pesticides and fertilizers, heavy metals, metalloids, pharmaceutical compounds, organic compounds, industrial effluents, untreated domestic and industrial wastes, different radioactive wastes, radionuclides, and abandoned military ammunition chemicals (Schnoor et al. 1995; Schnoor 1997; Salt et al. 1998; Thompson et al. 1998; Lucero et al. 1999; Hooker and Skeen 1999; Yoon et al. 2002). Aggressive industrialization and urbanization, rapid depletion of forest areas to extensive agriculture, mining, metal smelting, fuel production and energy generation, indiscriminate and unplanned dumping of industrial and domestic wastes (such as sludge dumping), and the enormous increase in human population in different parts of the world have all further aggravated issues and concerns about environmental pollution (Cunningham et al. 1995; Salt et al. 1998; Zayed 2004; Willey 2007). These factors have synergistically contributed towards an increase in inefficient and improper chemical waste disposal, seriously reducing the quality of land as well as human and animal life (Black 1995; Cunningham et al. 1995; Salt et al. 1998; Zayed 2004; Ghosh and Singh 2005).