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Bacillus Thuringiensis (Paperback)
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Bacillus Thuringiensis (Paperback)
Series: Environmental Health Criteria, No. 217
Expected to ship within 10 - 15 working days
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This book evaluates the risks to human health and the environment
posed by the use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) as a microbial
agent for pest control. Products containing various Bt subspecies
are increasingly used worldwide to control the larvae of several
insect pests that threaten major agricultural crops and forests. Bt
products are also being used to control the insect vectors of
malaria onchocerciasis and other diseases of major public health
importance. The bacterium is also a key source of genes for
transgenic expression to provide pest resistance in plants and
microorganisms. The report opens with an overview of the biological
properties of Bt and commercial Bt products. Particular attention
is given to the mechanisms by which sporulation produces inclusion
bodies containing insecticidal crystalline proteins which are
selectively toxic for insect species in the orders Coleoptera
Diptera and Lepidoptera. Tables show the current classification of
67 Bt subspecies and the large number of genes coding for the
insecticidal crystalline proteins. A review of Bt metabolites found
in commercial products concludes that they pose no hazards to
humans or the environment. Chapter two reviews data elucidating the
mechanisms by which Bt exerts its toxic action on susceptible
insect larvae. Data on insect populations that are resistant to Bt
are also briefly considered. Chapter three which focuses on the
survival and activity of Bt in the environment compares habitats
where Bt subspecies occur naturally with treated habitats.
Particular attention is given to the ability of Bt to form
endospores that are resistant to inactivation by heat and
desiccation and that persist in the environment under adverse
conditions. A chapter on commercial production describes methods of
production and general patterns of use in agriculture and forestry
and in large-scale programmes to control the vectors of malaria and
onchocerciasis. The most extensive chapter evaluates the large
number of studies conducted to assess the toxicity of various
preparations containing insecticidal crystalline proteins spores
and vegetative cells. Laboratory studies in a range of species have
failed to demonstrate toxic or pathogenic effects. Field studies
have likewise failed to demonstrate adverse effects on birds
earthworms fish other aquatic vertebrates and non-target aquatic
invertebrates. An evaluation of effects on humans draws on studies
in volunteers case reports from occupationally-exposed workers and
extensive data from countries where Bt products are added to
drinking-water for mosquito control or used to treat rivers for
blackfly control. On the basis of this review the report concludes
that Bt products are unlikely to pose any hazard to humans or other
vertebrates or to the great majority of non-target invertebrates
provided the commercial product is free from non-Bt microorganisms
and biologically active products other than the insecticidal
crystalline proteins. The report further concludes that Bt products
can be safely used for the control of insect pests of agricultural
and horticultural crops and forests. These products are likewise
judged safe for use in aquatic environments including
drinking-water reservoirs for the control of mosquito black fly and
nuisance insect larvae. The report stresses however that vegetative
Bt has the potential to produce Bacillus cereus-like toxins whose
significance as a possible cause of human gastrointestinal disease
remains unknown. ...one of the most thorough published reviews of
Bacillus thuringiensis ... provides an array of pertinent
background material... -- Integrated Pest Management Network
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