Biological Concepts and
Industrial Waste Disposal Problems
JOHN CAIRNS, JR., Curator
Department of Limnology
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
INTRODUCTION
Society's interest in pollution is centered upon its effects on living organisms.
This makes the assessment of pollution principally a biological problem. Despite
this relationship, most studies of water pollution are oriented toward chemical
and physical standards with the biological aspects in a subsidiary position or perhaps considered only by inference. There are good reasons for this since, chemical and physical determinations are more amenable to numerical expression, and
historically biologists have been reluctant to simplify the biological data to a
point where it would be intelligible to those who must meet the standards derived
from a biological assessment.
In this paper, I hope to demonstrate: (1) that biological data are as easily
assessed as chemical data, (2) that biological data may be presented numerically,
and (3) that existing biological concepts, properly applied, will furnish information not now provided by any other system of pollution detection. After presenting the various biological concepts a program will be set up for a hypothetical
industry intending to add a new plant location. About the only thing that is not
easily included here is a cost comparison. It is my conviction, however, that if
one is willing to concede the value of the information obtained, its cost will be
relatively insignificant in terms of the total amounts spent on waste disposal.
THE BIOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW
Biologists have always been impressed by the vast number of species inhabiting the earth and by the varying and often strikingly different environmental requirements of each of these species. They are continually reminded of population fluctuations and constant action and interaction between biological species
and their environment. If one were to select a key word to characterize the basis
of a biologist's point of view, it would be variability. The greatest concept in
biology, that of evolution, is based on this adaptability of living things which enables some form of life to exist under practically every condition found on the
surface of the earth. So it is not surprising that biologists as a group have been
loathe to provide fixed standards in terms of "safe" concentrations of various industrial wastes that might be placed in our rivers without harm to the organisms
present. The most carefree biologist would probably wish to know at least something about the organisms inhabiting a stream as well as the general range of
chemical and physical conditions before estimating the effect of an effluent upon
the aquatic ecosystem. Even then he would probably be reluctant to give a specific concentration that would have no effect unless it was so low that it might
well be beyond the practical and financial limitations of the industry designing a
treatment system. He would have justification for this viewpoint since we know
comparatively little or nothing about the environmental and ecological requirements of almost all of the species inhabiting this earth.
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