Biopollution and Biosafety

Biosafety refers to environmental safety in the context of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering risk a new form of pollution or ‘contamination’, called genetic pollution or biopollution. In certain cases, biopollution can have major health and environmental impacts and create biohazards – dangers threatening biodiversity at the genetic, species or ecosystem level. The introduction of new species into ecosystems is one form of biohazard – invasive species dominate ecosystems and displace native biodiversity. The introduction of exotic genes into organisms is another form of biohazard, since its ecological impacts are unpredictable.