Biosafety Issues

May 26, 2023, 16:45 IST

The term "biosafety" is an abbreviation for all the procedures, principles, and policies developed and implemented to protect the environment and the population of humans. Methods and techniques are considered in biosafety to prevent exposure to diseases and toxins. It checks its main target for dangerous biological, chemical, toxin, and radioactive substances. Biosafety is now more crucial than ever to protect the general public and the environment due to the advanced development of biotechnology and genetic engineering. The guidelines, laws, and oversight organisations should all be made known to each of us. In this post, we will cover several crucial issues, as well as what biosafety is, its significance, levels, rules, and benefits.

Introduction

To protect the workers, the surrounding community, and the environment from unplanned exposure to infectious agents and chemicals, biosafety is a framework that uses several specific procedures, guidelines, security measures, and specially designed offices. A biosafety program implements measures to identify biohazards, assess the health risks the biohazard poses to humans, agriculture, wildlife, and the environment, and devise solutions to reduce the risks associated with the biohazard. Biotechnology and genetic engineering advancements have made biosafety more important than ever for preserving the ecosystem.

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Origin and Aims of Biosafety Issues

The public should be aware of the laws, guidelines, and monitoring authorities. To assure safety from the foundational level, researchers should be the first to understand biosafety challenges and precautions fully. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety has been ratified by 167 nations, many of which are members of the United Nations. The procedure went into effect on September 11th, 2003. The following were its goals:

• It was designed to make sure that living, modified organisms could flow freely across the limits.
• Through Biosafety Clearing House, frame and disseminate the principles and methodology for risk assessment.

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Rules and Biosafety Monitoring Body

A set of rules and safeguards must be in place to prevent biological dangers set on by contact with infectious biological agents because the biosafety field is complex and not without risks. The general public should be made aware of the organisations in charge of overseeing biosafety regulations as well as the rules themselves. The Biosafety Protocol aims to protect biodiversity from potential threats contemporary biotechnology poses. An agreement on biosafety matters known as the "Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety" was enacted in 2003. In addition to considering human health risks, the Protocol encompasses all living modified organisms that could hurt the preservation and reliable use of biodiversity.

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Guidelines for Biosafety Compliance in a Laboratory

1. Labs do not permit food storage, eating, drinking, and smoking.
2. No mouth pipetting is allowed.
3. When leaving the lab, lab coats are necessary and must be removed.
4. Working surfaces must be cleaned with soap and alcohol at the end of each working day or hour.
5. Either autoclaving, or incineration is required for waste product decontamination.
6. regularly cleaning hands
7. Use disposable gloves while handling GMOs and other odd biological agents to prevent contact.
8. Always close the laboratory door.
9. When handling substances that emit fumes, use a laboratory hood.
10. In a lab, there should always be biohazard warning signs.

Different Biosafety Levels

Based on biocontainment measures taken to safeguard lab workers, the surrounding environment, and the community, biosafety is divided into various tiers. These levels are created based on the organisms being studied in the specific lab environments.

Now, a straightforward query. A biosafety laboratory is what? Infectious or possibly infectious agents are controlled for research in biosafety laboratories, which are meticulously created lab spaces with various highly specialised technological equipment.

The approved authority body creates these biosafety lab levels to demonstrate precise controls for containing microorganisms and biological agents. Layers upon layers of limitation barriers are created by how each successive Biosafety level builds on the one before. This guarantees that the study procedures are strictly supervised.

The following requirements must be met to determine the lab levels.

1. The severity of an infection.
2. Transmissibility.
3. The type of work done.
4. Origin of the microorganism.
5. Containment-related risks.
6. Agent in question

These biosafety standards are essential because they determine the work procedures permitted in a given lab environment. The following describes the four biosafety levels.

Biosafety Level 1:

This biosafety level is applied to organisms that pose the least risk to the health of laboratory personnel and the surrounding environment. They are not separated from the normal buildings at this level. Biosafety level 1 organism include yeast, E. coli, and skin bacteria.

Without specialised contamination equipment, research is conducted in this laboratory environment on workstations. At this stage, isolation from the surrounding activity is not necessary.

However, after spills, decontamination must happen right after. Materials containing infections must be decontaminated before being disposed of.

The facilities listed below are biosafety level 1 facility:

• Pipetting using machinery
• Using sharps safely
• Preventing people from aerosol splashes
• Correct hand washing
• Labs are not permitted to serve alcohol, smoke, or consume food.
• Biohazard indicators
• Wearing protective clothing, gloves, goggles, lab coats, and gowns
• By getting rid of all harmful objects.

Biosafety Level 2:

These pathogens, which include HIV, Staphylococcus aureus, and the encephalitis virus, are classified as having a biosafety level of 2. Workers in these labs must be extremely vigilant, and take extra precautions to protect themselves from harm such as wounds, ingesting objects, etc.

Due to the possible hazards the microorganisms pose, these labs include the conventional microbiological practices indicated in level 1 and additional safeguards.

Level 2 precautions include the following:

• Everyone should wear safety gear like face shields, glasses, and goggles.
• Infection-causing processes should be carried out with caution.
• Waste materials need to be decontaminated before being disposed of.
• In addition to the basin, eyewash should be available.
• There should be biohazard signs available.
• The lab's doors are lockable and self-closing.
• It should be forbidden for outsiders to access these labs.

Biosafety Level 3:

At this level, we research pathogens that can result in fatal illnesses, such as the West Nile virus, the yellow fever virus, the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, etc.

The microorganisms are so numerous at this level that the work is frequently tightly regulated and registered with the proper governmental organisations. The employees operating in a level 3 biosafety environment are also monitored medically. Additionally, access to these labs is strictly regulated at all times.

The following precautions should be observed at these biosafety levels:

• Protective gear such as respirators should be utilised.
• Everything should be done inside biosafety cabinets.
• Access should be possible from outside the building through each entrance.
• Always provide an eyewash station and a hands-free sink close to the exit.
• Coveralls, scrub suits, and solid-front wraparound gowns are frequently necessary.
• There should be continuous directional airflow from clean areas towards possibly polluted areas and exhaust air should not be recirculated.

Biosafety Level 4:

At this biosafety level, people work in high-risk environments where they may come into touch with unusual bacteria. A person's life may be taken if infected with certain microorganisms. Therefore, level 4 requires level 4 precaution.

A biosafety level 4 laboratory is quite remote and frequently situated outside the residential area, generally in a restricted area.

Some biosafety precautions that should be taken include:

• Changing into new clothes and getting ready for lab work.
• Every used item needs to be thoroughly decontaminated.
• Class 3 safety cabinets should be used for these activities.
• In addition to vacuum lines and decontamination systems, the laboratory should include a dedicated supply and exhaust system.

The Significance of Biosafety Issues

• The country's regulatory authorities must first consent to genetic modification in such sectors.
• The rules must be adhered to reduce biosafety.
• Researchers, creators of genetically modified organisms, policymakers, administrators, and environmentalists now have a greater understanding of biosafety.
• The OMICS Publishing Group USA has worked to increase public awareness of biosafety problems and solutions by publishing biosafety journals and holding international conferences.
• Even though current science benefits the human population, it can be risky if not employed carefully.
• In the goal of protecting human and environmental safety, biosecurity and bioterrorism are two recent growing challenges that need to be examined. Therefore, biosafety is crucial to ensuring the secure application of technology.
• Depending on the hazardous bacteria being studied, certain biosafety levels have been suggested for the labs. These safeguard the surroundings and the environment against the dangers posed by these bacteria.

Biosafety: FAQs

Q1. Who is accountable for biosafety problems?

Ans. The major investigators and supervisors are the authorised people upholding safety. It typically includes submitting first research protocols, applying for EHS, etc.

Q2. How well-versed are you in laboratory containment?

Ans. The employment of specifically constructed spaces and safety measures that serve as barriers against releasing poisons and infectious pathogens are known as laboratory containment. Bio Cabinets, sealed containers like animal crate systems, and containment centrifuges are all examples of biocontainment equipment.

Q3. Who regulates biosafety and why is it a crucial component of biological experiments?

Ans. The risk of contracting infectious diseases, toxic substances, or other biological hazards found in a material or substance must be minimised when doing biological studies. The United States Food and Drug Administration oversees biosafety.

Q4. What is the Cartagena Protocol?

Ans. In 2003, the Cartagena Protocol established the first global regulatory framework for the safe transmission, processing, and use of LMOs. 169 countries currently ratify the Protocol.

Q5. What is a biohazard?

Ans. The answer is that biologically derived substances are extremely harmful to live creatures and may result in serious illness or infection. Hospital waste, for instance, is considered a biohazard.