Safety, Ethical & Environmental Issues in Biology
- Throughout the course you will perform a variety of different practical investigations
- You need to be aware of ethical issues that may arise, as well as any safety considerations, and be able to suggest ways to minimise these issues during practical work
Safety
- The hazards and risks of any proposed experimental procedure should be considered
- A hazard relates to a feature of a procedure that may have inherently harmful properties, e.g.
- A chemical substance might be an irritant to the skin
- A rocky shore environment is likely to have slippery rocks
- A Bunsen burner may cause burns
- The risk is the level of danger posed by the hazard
- Factors that contribute to the dangers of a hazard include
- The likelihood of the hazard causing harm
- The severity of the harm, should it occur
- Factors that contribute to the dangers of a hazard include
- A risk assessment during any practical work should identify possible hazards, assess the level of risk, and make alterations to the procedure to minimise the risk
- E.g. for a rocky shore quadrat practical we might:
- Identify slippery rocks on the rocky shore as a hazard,
- Assess that the risk of slipping and falling is quite likely, and could lead to injuries such as bruises or twisted ankles
- Alter the practical procedure to state that footwear must have a good grip, students should avoid stepping onto rocks covered with seaweed, and that students should walk slowly and with care
- E.g. for a rocky shore quadrat practical we might:
Use of chemicals
- Some practical investigations may involve the use of chemical substances that have associated hazards and risks, e.g.
- Stains used when viewing cells
- Chemicals involved in measuring rates of reaction for enzymes
- Solvents used in chromatography
- The safety of a chemical can be assessed by looking at the hazard warning symbols allocated to a substance
- These are standardised symbols used on labels and safety data sheets to communicate the hazards associated with a chemical
- There are nine hazard warning symbols, each representing a different type of hazard
- These symbols are usually depicted inside a red diamond with a white background
Common hazard symbols table
| Hazard Symbol | Meaning | |
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Health hazard | includes warning on skin rashes, eye damage and ingestion |
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Corrosive | can cause skin burns and permanent eye damage |
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Flammable | can catch fire if heated or comes into contact with a flame |
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Acute toxicity | can cause life-threatening effects, even in small quantities |
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Hazardous to the environment | substances that are a threat to aquatic life and the environment |
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Oxidising | oxidising agents that can cause fire or explosions |
Examiner Tip
When you are planning a practical procedure for internal assessment and you are suggesting a safety precaution you need to say more than just 'wear a lab coat and goggles', as this is standard practice in any laboratory.
You need to identify what the hazard is, and to justify the safety precaution taken, e.g. 'iodine is an irritant; the risk of harm can be reduced by wearing safety goggles and by immediately washing any skin with which it comes into contact.'
Ethical considerations
- Biology investigations often involve living organisms, and so ethical considerations are important
- The IB policy on animals in schools states that investigations should only involve animals where no alternative options are available, and that any investigations that must involve animals should not be cruel, and should include measures that remove potential causes of animal distress
- This may mean:
- Choosing an experiment that does not involve animals
- Ensuring that potential harm to animals is minimised by, e.g. keeping experiments short, handling animals as little as possible, releasing animals to their natural environment at the end of an experiment
- Any experiment that involves humans, e.g. using a spirometer to measure breathing rate, should have the fully informed consent of the individual involved
Environmental considerations
- You need to consider the potential environmental impact of your investigation
- For laboratory experiments this may involve making sure that any waste is disposed of correctly, e.g.
- Not disposing of toxic chemical waste down the laboratory sink
- Ensuring that sharp equipment is disposed of using a sharps bin
- Ensuring that biological waste, such as petri dishes with bacteria or dissected organs, are disposed of correctly
- For a field experiment this may involve minimising environmental impact, e.g.
- Not working in very large groups
- Avoiding sensitive environments
- Taking equipment and litter away
