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Does the cyber security field have a future?

IntroductionPioneers should grasp inventive, developing cyber security innovation arrangements, given that they are a solid match and convey genuine worth. In spite of the fact that advancement is in no way, shape or form another idea, after some time it's developed to incorporate something other than item and administration development. It is turned into another perspective, working, and living and an important way to quicken an association's advanced change venture, guaranteeing they stay focused on their commercial center.The consistently advancing danger scene, and expanding consistence necessities and security dangers are driving more noteworthy degrees of cyber security development. More organizations are looking to execute developing answers to support their digital flexibility.Legacy methods and tools require cyber security innovationsReady to accept that inheritance strategies and devices are still generally compelling at giving a strong establishment to enable associations to relieve the test of cyber security. Most assaults can be avoided with fundamental security controls(Ahram, et. al. 2017). Be that as it may, strategies change, and malevolent on-screen characters are continually growing new assault techniques.Business pioneers ought to guarantee that their fundamental controls stay viable, yet in addition grasp imaginative arrangements on the off chance that they give a solid match and convey genuine business esteem. Moreover, they should continue improving security capacities for the accompanying reasons:As advanced change quickens inside all enterprises, the expanding business worth is being made on the internet. Cyber security is crucial to winning your clients' trust, and guaranteeing that your association's notoriety is not harmed because of a security break.It's additionally essential to recall that inheritance techniques and instruments are just viable on the off chance that they're appropriately conveyed and worked (AlDairi, 2017). Difficulties related to sending and activities are heightening because of the expanded multifaceted nature and size of associations' IT surroundings, just as the lack of talented security specialists. Therefore, the developments in mechanized security tasks will turn out to be always basic.The evolutionary view of the trend in Cyber security innovations for the futureWith dangers winding up progressively unpredictable, moving from essential assaults against one gadget too convoluted assaults against each gadget on an association's system, customary security just isn't sufficient in the period of digitalization Thinking back 30 years, heads of IT had a similarly lucky assignment when it came to cyber security (Blowers, 2015) . In spite of the fact that the activity was in no way, shape or form a stroll in the recreation centre, at any rate, there was a sure straightforwardness given the moderately modest number of gadgets they expected to secure.With the sharp increment in its utilization propels in the work environment, driven by the requirement for associations to demonstrate progressively coordinated and adaptable, there has been a torrential slide in the quantity of endpoints and potential ways for cybercriminals. Access frameworks business. In this manner, the whole computerized combat area has progressed and demonstrated to be unquestionably shockingly dynamic.Current security gatherings must devise new methodologies to battle the hazards driven against their interconnected hazard frameworks (Chertoff & Simon, 2015).Before the fight against cybercriminals was viewed as a worry for the IT division, yet the generally recorded break at Sony in 2014 put cybercrime at the highest point of the business plan. Associations understood that a break, bargain or assault could majorly affect business execution, brand discernment and – in particular – the monetary main concern.Security has turned into a major issue that has required managing and checking the perils, a business need. Regardless, even after Sony's attack, security had not turned into the worry at the present board level (Chuen, 2015).Later assaults, for example, the devastating WannaCry and later NotPetya ransom ware episodes have featured that an assault should not be against a particular association to make disorder and cost millions. For WannaCry's situation, this assault influenced enormous associations, for example, the NHS, Telefonica and other huge global undertakings, overwhelming everything in the vicinity.On the off chance that board individuals were not considering the requirement for better cyber security resistances previously, they surely are present (Efthymiopoulos, 2016). Changes in guideline and consistence necessities – close by a superior comprehension of the potential reputational danger of a rupture – have featured why security must be top of the plan, for the board, however for each representative and provider.Considering this, there have been three key movements have occurred in the wake of late enormous scale digital assaults:Security has moved past ITNo longer simply the worry of the IT nerd in the private cabin, security presently impacts everybody and has an extensive view. Its frame of reference is completely connected to business tasks – regardless of whether nearby, territorial or even worldwide – and each division it contacts (Evans, 2016).It has the ability to separate the storehouses that undertakings regularly work inside; expanding cooperation crosswise over offices, so resources that need ensuring are recognized, decreasing the effect of a future assault.Be that as it may, its arrive at stretches past the bounds of the centre of the business, out to the edge where information (held in the cloud, on cell phones and created by IoT) is in travel and possibly a moving digital objective.Versatile endeavours are utilizing computerized change and that affects how they additionally use security – connecting it back to business targets; empowering problematic plans of action, for example, portable banking, and fortifying their emphasis on digital dangers (Fitton, et. al. 2015).Security is at the core of advancementIT security is never again a hindrance to change, ruining the reception of new procedures and the selection of creative innovations. Truth be told, security is upfront in the new computerized world. It is quickening 'speed of administration'; inserted in programming characterized systems (SDN); empowering more extensive, consistent and secure access to information in the Internet of Things (IoT) and considerably more (Hielscher & Sovacool, 2018). Security is presently a pre-imperative, incorporated with new advances and gadgets from the beginning.Security is getting to be more intelligent, better, quicker more groundedSpeed ​​and speed are in no way, shape or form the main assets that IT security needs to confront. Moreover, you should act even more splendidly and logically succeed, in spite of the reduction in spending plans (Hughes, et. al. 2017).The supervision of security in the electronic world incorporates the social inquiry, the association and the examination of standard security data. Nevertheless, the data is rarely more, in any case, what data can tell us.Those providers who can utilize the advantages of information and comprehension in a dream of the worldwide framework will be at the cutting edge of the period of security organizations, improving the penetrability of computerized risk and directing the threat. This will detach the wellbeing supplier's promoting on individuals who just gather data and those with the nearness and capacity to transmit clever information (Ismail & Zhang, 2018).The best next stepIt is difficult to foresee precisely where the business will turn straightaway, however realize that development and digitization will not stop at any point in the near future. They will keep on developing at an exponential pace and stay significant for business achievement.In light of this, organizations must grasp new advancements, characterize methodologies that convey (and surpass) on the client experience, and adopt a proactive security strategy to guarantee every one of these components can occur safely (Kaska, 2015). Verizon's 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report demonstrated that similar risk strategies are as yet compelling in penetrating information on the grounds that numerous associations are feeling the loss of a centre establishment of security apparatuses and forms.Given the danger from cybercrime is expanding; organizations can't stand to be receptive any longer. To prevail in security, they should look towards improving their cyber security frameworks, as there is a lot in question – nobody needs to turn into a casualty of the following WannaCry or NotPetya (Khan & Estay, 2015).From year to year, the advancement of innovation is one of amazing guarantee and opportunity – just as vulnerability. The future might be obscure, however computerized headway keeps on reshaping our reality in manners that urge individuals to frame new propensities, find better approaches to cooperate and turn out to be better people. Furthermore, much of the time, these progressions convert into a scope of chances and disturbances over each industry (Lee & Jin, 2016).Shocked by how well and rapidly a developing number of associations explore this misty way from asking by acknowledging new upper hands with rising innovation patterns. The pace of development and change is mind-numbingly quick, yet these savvy undertakings are carefully understanding computerized progressions and applying them with colossal certainty.In any case, do not be tricked: There are still a lot of chances to get up to speed and further develop. Deloitte's Tech Trends 2019 report predicts eight patterns that will transform 2019 into an all the more energizing time, a progressively fortunate time to leave your blemish on the organization, industry, and a whole universe of plausibility.Technology trends past, present, and futureAdvanced understanding, the cloud, investigation, blockchain, subjective innovations, computerized reality, centre modernization, and cybersecurity might be old news, yet that doesn't imply that they are never again an imperative piece of business change (Loukaka & Rahman, 2017). Deloitte recommends that "through their impact and the development released, these powers will probably overwhelm venture IT, inward activities, and markets to a significantly more prominent degree than they have as individual advances."vComputerized reasoning satisfies the maximum capacity of the endeavourSelf-sufficient computerized reasoning (AI) is filling another period of individuals and machines cooperating with information driven bits of knowledge and profoundly key and result cantered procedures (Mccluskey, 2017). To understand completely the guarantee of the AI-powered association, Deloitte features three framework models right now in play: cloud-local, bundle aide, and open-calculation. By grasping AI, AI (ML), and other psychological apparatuses over the IT environment, the whole organization can invest less energy in repetitive and commonplace exercises that waste the estimation of each representative and invest additional time in educated basic leadership.vIT associations enter NoOps in a server less worldWith the developing dependence on cloud suppliers, IT associations are presently looking to make a "NoOps" (no tasks) scene that is so computerized and preoccupied that lone a little group is expected to deal with the basic foundation. For CIOs, this new reality opens up a transformative chance to reconsider innovation culture, jobs and obligations, enablement apparatuses, and forms – all while guaranteeing boundless versatility and high accessibility (Mourshed, et. al. 2015).vPropelled systems open the entryway to the eventual fate of availabilityFor a long while, arranging progress has been in the shadow of uncommon advancement. Be that as it may, they can at long last have their moment in 2019 as new development spaces and strategies for eager activities.For instance: 5G offers more prominent speed and lower inactivity, which can be a noteworthy favoured position when immense amounts of sensors and keen gadgets arerelated. The edge count shapes the data in a "little cloud" close to the underlying gadget, or far superior, as introduced limit inside the gadget or endpoint.The programming of described associations (SDN) extends a typical degree of programming from the homestead to the WAN (wide zone association) to interconnect ranch ranches or other multi-territory applications (Perez, 2016).The virtualization of the framework's work gives adaptable virtualized programming to the traded off machines of the physical framework and, simultaneously, it trades the prerequisites of location, trade, encryption, firewall, increment in WAN speed and burden guideline.vSmart interfaces reconsider how individuals, machines, and information communicateShrewd interfaces speak to what Deloitte calls the "following incredible innovation change" – empowering abilities from following clients' disconnected propensities and customizing new items and answers for upgrading operational effectiveness and individual efficiency. This mix of human-focused structure with close frictionless interfaces as of now use conversational innovations and, later on, will probably incorporate PC vision, motion control, inserted eye-following, bio-acoustic detecting, and feeling discovery (Prasad & Dixit, 2016).vRegard for brand experience goes past promotingAs purchasers accentuate their craving for increasingly human and tweaked encounters, showcasing associations are arriving at a defining moment in their systems and practices – alluded to as "past promoting." This strategy requires head advertising officials (CMOs) and CIOs to together re-examine how their association oversees and utilizes information, robotizes choice help, and conveys customized content powerfully, which is outside their customary space. By working together and joining forces, they can adequately complete this new procedure while clinging to the organizations built up computerized plans (Radanliev, et. al.2018).vDigital hazard is raising, installed, and developingAs worries over cyber security keep administrators up around evening time, security culture, practices, and devices are being implanted into each period of the DevOps pipeline. This methodology, known as DevSecOps, mechanizes sound cybersecurity rehearses all through application improvement cycles and framework tasks to guarantee that each discharge is tried, secure, and solid. By improving security and consistence development with each new discharge and usage, organizations can increment operational quality, support hierarchical efficiency, and psychologist time to showcase (Renaud & Flowerday, 2017).vThe fate of business change is never again a riddleOutlining an advanced future is no little accomplishment – however it doesn't need to be a puzzle. Organizations that skill to make the association between innovation progression and result are the ones that go past tying down their computerized techniques to a particular innovation. They envision, convey, and run an advanced future dependent on extra factors, for example, network of developing biological systems to human-focused plan, macroeconomic powers, and continuous information insight.Cyber security is an interesting issue for associations and organizations of all sizes over each industry. Obviously, every organization has various needs and experiences, so the arrangements of cyber security patterns for 2019 and 2020 you'll see around the web fluctuate a lot contingent upon your source. In any case, huge numbers of the rundowns do in any event share some basic attributes (Reniers,2017). What's more, as cyber attacks keep on expanding in recurrence year over year, they all serve to underscore the significance and requirement for better cyber security protections. A portion of the present patterns in IT security identified with the kinds of assaults, techniques for counteractive action, and enterprises that are being focused on. Others are tied in with finding new strategies and innovations to Reduce cyber security vulnerabilities; better secure systems; Use computerization and different procedures to make take progressively proficient and savvy; Increase information protection and consistence, and Improve the gathering and examination of information (Shinde and Ardhapurkar, 2016). The top cyber security patterns of 2019 we have assembled a rundown to accept are the patterns in IT security that are ruling the business this year. The patterns that have recorded beneath are a mix of the two elements we accept sway both cyber security safeguards and cybercriminals the same. Multifaceted verification (MFA) has been a continuous pattern for a couple of years now. MFA, some of the time known as two-factor verification (2FA), requires a lot of variables to access limited information — something you know, (for example, a secret word or passphrase), something you have, (for example, a security token or some likeness thereof), and something you are (biometrics, for example, a retinal sweep or unique finger impression).Application of LegalCyber security pattern #1: The phishing scene is changing- however email still positions as the greatest of those dangers it should not shock anyone that phishing would make our rundown of the top cyber security patterns. Phishing has been a staple of cyber security patterns records for some time, and it doesn't have all the earmarks of being going anyplace at any point in the near future (Spidalieri and McArdle, 2016). Verizon's 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) reports that 32% of affirmed information ruptures came down to phishing, and 78% of digital reconnaissance occurrences included phishing. Be that as it may, phishing these days is not just about messages alone — however, email is as yet a unimaginably prominent assault vector. Cybercriminals are likewise utilizing an assortment of assault vectors to reach and fool their proposed exploited people into playing out an activity —, for example, surrendering individual data, login qualifications, or in any event, sending cash. Progressively, phishing these days includes general SMS messaging assaults ("smishing") everything from interchanges via web-based networking media stages, for example, LinkedIn to phishing destinations to try and telephone calls with a live individual ("vishing") (Strasser, et al. 2017). You realize those phony IRS telephone calls, Social Security tricks, and individuals claiming to be Microsoft. No doubt, those are only a few instances of vishing.Cyber security pattern #2: Increasing utilization of portable as an assault vector -Considering that about everybody these days has a cell phone in their pocket, it truly does not shock anyone that versatile advanced close to the top on our rundown of cyber security patterns for 2019. Overall, being portable makes life increasingly helpful. You can utilize your cell phones for dealing with everything from individual and business correspondences to banking or in any event, booking a flight or inn. There are applications for actually every part of your life. Exhausted? Play a game application (Taylor & While, 2017). Need music? Turn on a music application. Need to get in shape? There's an application you can download for that, as well. Be that as it may, the majority of this accommodation doesn't come without hazard for end clients and organizations the same — especially as more individuals utilize their own and work gadgets conversely for individual and business purposes. This training explains worries for organizations. Research from the RSA's 2019 Current State of Cybercrime whitepaper demonstrates that "70% of false exchanges started in the versatile direct in 2018." Furthermore, "extortion from portable applications has expanded 680 percent since 2015," making it a tremendous channel of chance for cybercrime.Cybersecurity pattern #3: Targeting of nearby governments and endeavors by means of ransomware assaults- So long as you haven't been living under a stone the previous couple of years, at that point it's conceivable you've seen that the paces of ransomware assaults against shoppers are as the year progressed. Be that as it may, the equivalent can't be said for endeavors. Ransomware are on the ascent for ventures with research from Malwarebytes revealing an expansion of 195% from Q4 2018 to Q1 2019, just as a year-over-year increment of 500% in ransom ware identifications by organizations in Q1 2018 to Q1 2019. Indeed, even governments aren't sheltered from ransom ware. Research from Recorded Future, a risk insight firm that has indexed almost 170 ransom ware assaults influencing state and nearby governments since 2013, demonstrates that ransom ware assaults against these administration branches are on the ascent (Teoh & Mahmood, 2017). Their information reports that there were 53 ransom ware assaults against state and neighbourhood governments in 2018 and that there were 21 revealed assaults inside the initial four months of 2019. Moreover, "the numbers for 2018 and 2019 may go up, as not all ransom ware assaults against state and nearby governments are accounted for right away." For instance, 20 urban areas in Texas were hit by composed ransom ware assaults. Three Florida urban areas were focused by ransom ware assaults, and in any event, two paid the requested payoffs to open their information. The city of Baltimore, Maryland continued two ransom ware assaults in 14 months (Tweneboah, 2017). The city of Atlanta, Georgia continued a significant ransom ware assault in March 2018, which left the city disabled and confronting upwards of $17 million in expenses identifying with the assault. Similar assailants, the open division ransom ware exploited people who paid the payments paid about 10 fold the amount of cash, by and large, similar to their private-part partners. This could be, partially, because of an absence of cyber security mindfulness. In any case, paying little respect to the reason, governments paying any payment represents a critical concern since it fortifies the thought that performing ransom ware assaults against governments is a beneficial endeavour and will just serve to urge them to lead more assaults.Cyber security pattern #4: Increasing accentuation on information security, sway, and consistence -Since the rollout of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018, states, nations, and ventures the same around the globe have started taking harder takes a gander at their current information security related guidelines. The objective? To create, pass, and execute new guidelines that will guarantee higher information security and security measures to all the more likely ensure customers (or residents, contingent upon the particular model) and to rebuff the individuals who neglect to submit to them. Information sway and consistence, obviously, come in various structures (Villanueva, et. al. 2015). Contingent upon the particular enactment, it can include: Informing people about how their data will be utilized; Providing people with an approach to refuse their data from being shared; Developing and actualizing strategies and methods to end up agreeable; and Increasing the security of information and individual data using encryption and different systems. In any case, there are likewise proposed guidelines that approach the point of information protection from an alternate edge. Now and again, the accentuation is put on making encryption "secondary passages" to make it simpler for governments to access scrambled data for the sake of equity and impeding fear based oppressor exercises.Cyber security pattern #5: Increasing interests in cybersecurity mechanization — the last stop on our rundown of the top cyber security patterns for 2019: robotization. Mechanization is a significant favourable position in cyber security that has been increasing a solid footing in the business. An ongoing Ponemon Institute study of in excess of 1,400 IT and IT security professionals demonstrates that 79% of respondents either as of now use (29%) mechanization apparatuses and stages inside their association or plan to utilize them (half) inside the following a half year to three years (Weichert, 2017). Contingent upon the digital security robotization apparatuses and stages, they can enable you to perform numerous assignments, including Collecting information about segments of your data framework that can be accustomed to observing and investigation. Monitoring all product and equipment resources inside your association. Digital Security Trends 2020: What to Expect in the Coming Year Some of the digital security patterns we referenced for 2019 are probably going to persist into 2020. Be that as it may, here are a couple of things we see in 2020: Cyber security spending will keep on expanding Cyber security spending is on the ascent. Truth be told, information from IDC demonstrates that worldwide spending on digital security arrangements, for example, equipment, programming and administrations is foreseen to top $103 billion this year alone. That is an expected increment of 9.4% more than 2018 — and they anticipate that this pace of development should proceed for the following quite a long while as businesses and organizations progressively put resources into security arrangements (Wortmann & Flüchter, 2015).Prediction for futureAs to consider how to convey ahead of time of another time of digital dangers, here are the patterns and exercises well on the way to influence the association.By foreseeing the fundamental security and advanced assurance plans for the coming year, it is conceivable to find numerous sign on the events of the earlier year. Among the now regular ambush types, the advanced privateers of the fundamental structures and corporate destinations proceeded in 2018 and will definitely be a piece of the 2019 computerized security scene(Sharma & Sharma,2019). Some significant relationship around the globe has endured basic breakdowns this year. The biggest production of potential data, which affected the organization Exactis for publicizing and data aggregation, incorporated the presentation of a database containing right around 340 million individual information records(Chen, 2019).In the most rudimentary organization ambushes of the past, in 2018 there was a quickened hazard development in an alternate extent of goals and lamentable unfortunate casualties. In the space of individual to-individual correspondence, Facebook evaluated that the software engineers procured client information from around 30 million individuals. An assortment of creating nations has utilized computerized proof and attacks to accomplish anything from inside organization information to government units and touchy frameworks. On an individual level, a break in the registers of Under Four's My Fitness Pal health locator has caused the burglary of private data from around 150 million individuals.In any case, there is something not out of the ordinary on the advanced security front one year from now. Here is a piece of the models and activities intended to impact affiliations, governments and individuals in 2019 and before.Aggressors Will Exploit Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems and Use AI to Aid AssaultsThe hotly anticipated business assurance of the AI ​​has begun to show up as of late, with AI-controlled casings presently being utilized in various regions of business action. Actually, despite the fact that these systems persistently automate manual commissions and improve fundamental initiative and other human activities, they additionally create as promising attack draws near, a similar number of computerized reasoning structures facilitating colossal data measures(Choo, 2017).Moreover, experts have been progressively worried about the shortcoming of these systems for destructive data that can deteriorate their rationale and impact their assignments. The delicacy of a portion of the advancement of the AI ​​will become a worry for improvement in 2019. Somehow, the ascent of centre AI systems as ambush targets will mirror the understanding seen 20 years before web, which immediately grabbed the eye of computerized hoodlums. Furthermore, software engineers, especially after the blast of electronic internet business (Botta et al., 2016).Assailants won't simply target AI frameworks, they will enrol AI methods themselves to supercharge their own crimes. Mechanized frameworks controlled by AI could test systems and frameworks scanning for unfamiliar vulnerabilities that could be abused. Computer-based intelligence could likewise be utilized to make phishing and other social building assaults much progressively refined by making amazingly practical video and sound or well-created messages intended to trick focused on people. Artificial intelligence could likewise be utilized to dispatch reasonable disinformation crusades(Botta, et. al.2016). For instance, envision a phony AI-made, practical video of an organization CEO reporting a huge money related misfortune, a significant security rupture, or other significant news. Broad arrival of such a phony video could significantly affect the organization before the confirmed actualities are comprehended.Also, similarly as we see assault toolboxes accessible available to be purchased web-based, making it generally simple for aggressors to create new dangers, we're sure to in the end observe AI-controlled assault instruments that can enable even trivial offenders to dispatch refined focused on assaults (Jentzsch, 2015). With such devices mechanizing the production of profoundly customized assaults that have been work concentrated and exorbitant in the past–such AI-fuelled toolboxes could make the peripheral expense of creating each extra focused on assault be zero.ConclusionIndeed, even the biggest relationship with the most noteworthy limit and the incredible assets engaged with PC security have experienced significant exchanges on PC security. The most incredibly talented pros in data security employments would enable the nation to respond all the more unequivocally to the IT security issues it faces. Specifically that which is as ground-breaking and quick as PC security. Besides, there are a few factors that can impact future needs. PC security is a field that incorporates more than one kind of work and in excess of a calling or job. For instance, today there are an immense number of individuals inside the affiliations who have a commitment in regards to data security aptitudes, for example, forefront IT staff, for which there may not be satisfactory directions or requirements for accreditation.ReferencesAhram, T., Sargolzaei, A., Sargolzaei, S., Daniels, J. and Amaba, B., 2017, June. Blockchain technology innovations. In 2017 IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Conference (TEMSCON) (pp. 137-141). IEEE.AlDairi, A., 2017. Cyber security attacks on smart cities and associated mobile technologies. Procedia Computer Science, 109, pp.1086-1091.Blowers, M. ed., 2015. Evolution of cyber technologies and operations to 2035. Springer.Botta, A., De Donato, W., Persico, V. and Pescapé, A., 2016. Integration of cloud computing and internet of things: a survey. Future generation computer systems, 56, pp.684-700.Chen, M.J., LGS Innovations LLC, 2019. Methods and systems for enhancing cyber security in networks. U.S. Patent Application 10/305,935.Chertoff, M. and Simon, T., 2015. The impact of the dark web on internet governance and cyber security.Choo, K.K.R., Kermani, M.M., Azarderakhsh, R. and Govindarasu, M., 2017. Emerging embedded and cyber physical system security challenges and innovations. IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing, 14(3), pp.235-236.Chuen, D.L.K. ed., 2015. Handbook of digital currency: Bitcoin, innovation, financial instruments, and big data. Academic Press.Efthymiopoulos, M.P., 2016. Cyber-security in smart cities: the case of Dubai. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 5(1), p.11.Evans, N.D., 2016. Future skills. Itnow, 58(1), pp.50-51.Fitton, O., Prince, D., Germond, B. and Lacy, M., 2015. The future of maritime cyber security.Hielscher, S. and Sovacool, B.K., 2018. Contested smart and low-carbon energy futures: media discourses of smart meters in the United Kingdom. Journal of cleaner production, 195, pp.978-990.Hughes, B.B., Bohl, D., Irfan, M., Margolese-Malin, E. and Solórzano, J.R., 2017. ICT/Cyber benefits and costs: Reconciling competing perspectives on the current and future balance. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 115, pp.117-130.Ismail, L. and Zhang, L. eds., 2018. Information Innovation Technology in Smart Cities. Springer Singapore.Jentzsch, N., 2015. Horizontal and Vertical Analysis of Privacy and Cyber-Security Markets. IPACSO White Paper Series.Kaska, K., 2015. National Cyber Security Organisation, the Netherlands. 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The transmission of the future: The impact of distributed energy resources on the network. IEEE Power and Energy Magazine, 14(4), pp.41-53.Prasad, R. and Dixit, S. eds., 2016. Wireless World in 2050 and Beyond: A Window Into the Future!. Springer International Publishing.Radanliev, P., De Roure, D., Cannady, S., Montalvo, R.M., Nicolescu, R. and Huth, M., 2018. Economic impact of IoT cyber risk-analysing past and present to predict the future developments in IoT risk analysis and IoT cyber insurance.Renaud, K. and Flowerday, S., 2017. Contemplating human-centred security & privacy research: Suggesting future directions. Journal of Information Security and Applications, 34, pp.76-81.Reniers, G., 2017. On the future of safety in the manufacturing industry. Procedia Manufacturing, 13, pp.1292-1296.Sharma, S. and Sharma, B., 2019. Impact of IoT and 5G on the Business of Cyber Security. CYBERNOMICS, 1(2), pp.19-22.Shinde, P.S. and Ardhapurkar, S.B., 2016, February. 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What is a biodegradability assessment overview?

“Biodegradability assessment of complex, hydrophobic substances: Insights from gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel and solvent testing)”.Introductory overview“Biodegradation is the transformation of organic materials by living organisms, with primary biodegradation (loss of parent substance) yielding other organic compounds and ultimate biodegradation or mineralisation leading to inorganic end products and biomass. Microorganisms, mainly archaea, bacteria and fungi, undertake the overwhelming majority of biodegradation and are major contributors to nutrient and energy cycling in the biosphere (Das and Dash, 2014). The natural capacity of microorganisms to biodegrade mitigates the effects of deliberate or accidental release of organic pollutants by preventing their accumulation in the environment.Assessment of biodegradability of chemical substances is a major aspect of national and international chemical regulations such as the European Union's Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation of CHemical substances (REACH) Regulation (European Commission, 2006); The Chemicals Management Plan under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA, 1999) in Canada; and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in the U.S. (USEPA, 1999). In the EU under REACH, information on the biodegradability of substances is used for classification and labelling, risk assessment (for chemical safety assessment) and persistence assessments, the latter of which form part of Annex XIII requirements to assess the persistence, bioaccumulation potential and toxicity (PBT) properties of substances. Persistence assessment of substances is receiving increasing focus under REACH as identification and risk management of PBT substances forms one of the central pillars of this regulation. Further, the increasing understanding of the impact of emerging persistent and mobile contaminants and the potential threat they may pose, in particular to drinking water resources, places particular emphasis on a robust evaluation of persistence (Berger et al., 2018).Standardised biodegradation tests, originally conceived and developed in the 1980s and 1990s, are used to measure the biodegradation of a chemical substance in the presence of a diverse range of microbial communities (inocula from river water, sea water, activated sludges, soil). These include the biodegradation screening tests, which evaluate a chemical's tendency to biodegrade under stringent conditions, and higher tier simulation tests which are designed to assess the kinetics and transformation products of biodegradation in a range of scenarios under more environmentally relevant conditions. For the evaluation of persistence, REACH uses a tiered approach. The first tier (or screening level) includes the use of a simple aquatic ‘ready biodegradability’ test (RBT), such as those described in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) test guidelines 301 A to F (OECD, 1992a), 306, or 310 (OECD, 2006). Degradation is assessed by the measurement of simple parameters such as oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, or dissolved organic carbon consumption over a 28-day period. Chemicals that fulfil the criteria for ready biodegradability (biodegradation levels of either 60% or 70% depending on the test) are considered to undergo rapid degradation in the environment under most conditions (ECHA, 2017a). Such “readily biodegradable” substances are considered not persistent.Along with the capability of the microbes present, biodegradability is partially determined by the structural characteristics of a substance and its physico-chemical properties (Matthies et al., 2016). For poorly soluble or volatile chemicals, like certain hydrocarbons, a lack of bioavailability and abiotic losses can reduce the extent of biodegradation observed in standard tests. Difficulties encountered in estimating the biodegradability of certain chemicals are often caused by extrinsic factors linked to the limitation of their availability to microorganisms in the test systems (Stucki and Alexander, 1987). To account for this, a range of modifications to the OECD 301 tests to enhance aqueous bioavailability are allowed. These modifications are described in the ISO standard 10634 (ISO, 2018) and are endorsed by the REACH guidance (ECHA, 2017a). They include ultrasonic dispersion, adsorption onto an inert support material and use of non-biodegradable emulsifying agents.Loss of test substance from the test system (i.e. volatile losses), sorption on to the internal surfaces and the presence of plastics are all known to influence the rate and extent of biodegradation (Brown et al., 2018). As such, the design of the test system plays a significant role in determining the effectiveness of biodegradation testing. A number of different guideline methods are permitted under OECD 301 to create suitable conditions based on the properties of a substance and a consideration regarding their design needs to be factored into decision making during experimental design to ensure the test substance is assessed appropriately (Brown et al., 2018).Understanding the behaviour of substances in the available test systems is important so that the most appropriate conditions for biodegradation are selected. Failure to consider these issues can lead to an underestimation of the intrinsic biodegradability of a chemical and could lead to inappropriate regulatory outcomes (e.g. classification) and trigger further unnecessary and costly testing (Martin et al., 2017). In fact, it has been suggested that there is a high probability (up to 80%) that a biodegradable chemical will be inappropriately classified as potentially persistent using the current suite of RBTs (ECETOC, 2007).UVCBs are comprised of many different individual constituents with potentially varying biodegradation potential and physico-chemical properties, such as solubility, vapour pressure and octanol-water partition coefficient. There is the possibility that the biodegradation of a readily biodegradable fraction of a UVCB may mask the presence of persistent constituents, particularly for very complex substances with different classes of molecules. This issue is key for RBTs that use indirect measures of biodegradation instead of tracking the test substance itself.Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) products are synthetic hydrocarbons produced from natural gas as a feedstock using the Fischer-Tropsch process (Dry, 2002). The process primarily forms linear alkanes, with increasing amounts of branching with longer hydrocarbon chains. Although considered UVCBs, GTL products are less complex than petroleum substances and thus more amenable to persistence assessment based on whole substance approaches. The compositional characteristics of GTL products also result in them being less environmentally hazardous than their conventional petroleum alternatives (Whale et al., 2018). Owing to their composition (linear and branched alkanes) they are expected to be more easily degraded than petroleum derived products, which tend to contain much more cyclic`s and a higher degree of branching (Leahy and Colwell, 1990). Based on the current understanding of hydrocarbon biodegradation and biodegradability estimates, based on quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR), it is expected that the GTL hydrocarbons would be biodegradable. Since GTL products are not derived from crude oil, they were considered as new substances from a regulatory perspective, thereby requiring extensive physico-chemical, eco/toxicological and environmental fate testing to assess their hazard profile before they could be placed on the market.Here we describe the biodegradability assessment of GTL hydrocarbons using a range of ready and inherent biodegradation tests. These were performed over a 14-year period in multiple laboratories across three continents to satisfy various regulatory requirements. As such it represents a large robust dataset to support the environmental safety assessment of these products. During this testing, certain tests did not show the expected amount of biodegradation; these deviations were attributed primarily to abiotic losses from the test systems. This work highlights the importance of selecting appropriate RBT methods and equipment to assess biodegradability. It also underscores the importance of determining the propensity/potential for abiotic losses of a chemical to mitigate inappropriate test outcomes, or so called ‘false negative’ results (Martin et al., 2017). This work also provides strategies to assess and report results for UVCBs. It concludes, in the context of a weight of evidence approach with a large number of studies, that GTL hydrocarbons are likely to be readily biodegradable in the environment.Biodegradability discussion1. GTL biodegradation test performance versus abiotic lossesA total of 21 independent ready, inherent seawater biodegradation tests, generated over a period of 14 years, have been summarised. Based on their composition (predominantly linear and iso-alkanes) extensive biodegradation of all products was expected. Despite this, large variations in test outcomes were observed depending on the specific test methodology used. Discernible differences were observed for tests run under the same 301 method but using different equipment setups. The variability observed in these tests correlated with the extent of measured or assumed abiotic losses. For testing under 301B guidelines, continuous air sparging in an open bottle system is likely to enhance losses of hydrocarbons through volatilisation. The effects of this mechanism were highlighted in a test with increased air sparging that resulted in a substantial reduction in biodegradation (Fig. 3). Consequently, the 301 B method is not considered appropriate for testing hydrocarbons and results from studies using this method should be regarded with caution.In 301F tests, biodegradation is likely to be determined by volatility and hydrophobicity of the test substance and the composition and configuration of the testing equipment. Despite belonging to the same 301F (Manometric Respirometry) method group, OxiTop® and Lovibond testing setups are significantly different to the CES respirometer (Fig. 2). Both the OxiTop® and Lovibond systems work on the principle of detecting pressure changes caused by sequestration of produced CO2. A significant proportion of the testing equipment material in these systems is either acrylonitrilebutadiene styrene (ABS) plastic and EDPM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber. In contrast, the CES respirometer system which uses a manometer and an electrochemical oxygen production unit, has fewer plastic components in the test vessel. Previous work (Brown et al., 2018) has shown that volatile hydrocarbons are subject to extensive losses in test setups containing plastic components and that the extent of biodegradation observed is likely to be substantially reduced in their presence. In our experience, GTL hydrocarbons perform poorly when tested with the OxiTop® and Lovibond systems and are not suitable for testing volatile hydrocarbons. Their use in testing other poorly soluble and volatile substances should be considered carefully owing to their propensity to exhibit losses from the aqueous (degrading) compartment of the system.Based on data presented here, preference should be given to testing equipment that is closed and has minimal plastic or other adsorbing surfaces. This study has demonstrated the advantages of sealed manometric respirometers, such as the CES respirometer, but other approaches may also be suitable. For example, the OECD 310 ‘headspace’ ready biodegradation test (OECD, 2014) is based on a closed test system and minimal amounts of plastic or other absorbing surfaces. As this study is a retrospective review of our experiences with ready biodegradation testing, no assessment of the suitability of the OECD 310 method has been performed.Regulatory guidance allows a number of different testing approaches to create the most suitable conditions for biodegradation. Poor solubility, high volatility and high propensity to adsorb will limit the (bio)availability and thus the observed biodegradation of a substance. Unfortunately, no OECD 301 test method is fully optimised for hydrocarbons which suffer from all the (bio)availability limiting properties described above. This has stimulated some development in method optimisation. Brown et al. (2018) developed a closed bottle oxygen sensor system with minimal adsorbing surfaces to reduce abiotic losses of test substance. The approach is similar to ISO 10708 that has been previously considered by the European Commission as a supplementary method to the OECD 301 test suite (European Commission, 2005). This method was rejected, however, as it was considered to offer no significant advantages over the existing respirometric tests. The data presented in this study and previous work (Brown et al., 2018) strongly suggests a need for a system well suited to testing volatile and hydrophobic test substances. It would therefore seem reasonable that the discussion be reopened around whether a method like ISO 10708 should be incorporated into the standard suite of OECD 301 RBTs.Other factors may also impact the rate and extent of hydrocarbon biodegradation in standardised tests. Their low inherent solubility results in a large proportion of hydrocarbon in the undissolved (free) phase during testing. This means the entire dose is not fully available to the degrading inoculum of the aqueous phase. As a result, biodegradation maybe limited by the rate of dissolution from the undissolved phase into the aqueous phase (Stucki and Alexander, 1987). Various modifications to test methods that enhance dissolution rates were used in this study based on the ISO standard 10634 (ISO, 2018). This included the use of inert supports (Whatman GF/A) to increase the surface area of test substance to the degrading inoculum. Due to their non-systematic application, the impact of these modifications is difficult to determine. Other studies, however, have shown that these dosing modifications are useful for substances like hydrocarbons (Sweetlove et al., 2016). It is interesting to note, however, that on the two occasions where silica-gel was used very low biodegradation (8.4 and 14%) was observed (Fig. 3). Previous studies have shown variable results with silica-gel with the biodegradation of some chemicals improving and some decreasing (Handley et al., 2002; Fiebig et al., 2016; Sweetlove et al., 2016). The effects of silica-gel are difficult to determine in this work because tests using this modification also lacked stirring which can impact biodegradation through mass transfer effects. One possibility is that the test substance separates from the silica-gel when added to the test media and forms surface droplets that are subject to losses through volatilisation. Furthermore, as these tests were not stirred, the bioavailability of the test substance was likely limited, and biodegradation may have been hindered.From a practical perspective, the use of dosing modifications may add unnecessary effort during experimental setup. For volatile hydrocarbons such modifications are unwarranted and may even lead to greater losses even before the test has started. For example, dosing onto an inert support prior to transferring into the test vessel may result in volatile losses and thus reduced potential for biodegradation. In our experience direct addition of test substance into the test vessel using a gas tight syringe combined with stirring during the test was suitable for GTL products.2. Analysis of test chemicals for testing UVCBsThe use of chemical analysis to support these biodegradation studies has been crucial in understanding how losses impact test outcomes. Within REACH, consideration is given to losses through mechanisms such as volatilisation (ECHA, 2017a). However, the use of chemical analysis to assess potential for losses from a test system is not stated explicitly. Furthermore, the OECD 301 test guideline does not stipulate the use of abiotic loss controls to improve interpretation of biodegradation data. Here we have demonstrated the value of including chemical analysis of biodegradation studies. Though not crucial for all test substances, we believe that for ‘difficult to test’ substances, targeted chemical analysis should be incorporated into test designs. Although UVCBs are notoriously difficult to analyse in test systems, the benefit of a gross mass balance in these experiments allowed a more robust interpretation of the testing outcome, including addressing concerns regarding preferential biodegradation of the various constituents.3. Inoculum quality and effect on test outcomeThe degrading inoculum ‘quality’ is another source of known variability in these tests (Goodhead et al., 2014). Inoculum quality can be described as the level of microbial activity, the concentration of microbes in the inoculum, and the microbial diversity in that environmental sample. Unfortunately, these factors are poorly controlled in OECD tests. Microbial activity is often assessed by the inclusion of a positive control, such as sodium benzoate or aniline, but biodegradation capacity is rarely measured. Microbial load is typically assumed using a prescribed volume of activated sludge or can optionally be measured using plate counts or other methods; unfortunately, such measurements were not taken for these studies. However, there is a known large variation in the concentration of microbes from even the same environmental medium (Francois et al., 2016). Microbial diversity is undoubtedly the most neglected factor that potentially plays a crucial role in achieving a realistic outcome in biodegradability testing (Kowalczyk et al., 2015; Martin et al., 2017; Ott et al., 2019). Here, it is assumed that no adverse impacts were observed regarding inoculum quality as positive control results fulfilled validity criteria and the biodegradation of these chemicals was shown to be >67% in all tests (Supplementary Fig. S2). The relative standard deviation (RSD), a measure of variability, was substantially lower for positive controls (12%) compared to tests with GTL Gas Oil (52%) (Supplementary Fig. S7). Furthermore, the variability of tests using the same GTL product and method/equipment, but different inocula sources was low (RSD 2.5% and 7%) compared to tests with the same inoculum source and different method/equipment (RSD 69%) (Supplementary Fig. S7). Considering other studies have attributed significant variations in test results to inoculum quality, this suggests that the metabolic potential for degrading simple aliphatic hydrocarbons is very common in microbial communities worldwide (Brzeszcz and Kaszycki, 2018; Miettinen et al., 2019).4. Summary of biodegradability of GTL productsWhen tested appropriately, GTL products were demonstrated to be readily biodegradable. Although differences were observed in the extent of biodegradation, extrinsic factors such as losses from the test system and variation in dosing strategy make it difficult to determine their significance. Factors previously described (abiotic losses, reduced bioavailability and inappropriate test design) that can negatively impact the performance of biodegradation may lead to the inappropriate categorisation of a substance for regulatory purposes. False negative results may lead to more in-depth, costly and unnecessary persistence investigations such as simulation tests and tests for other properties such as bioaccumulation, which may require the use of vertebrate animals (Martin et al., 2017). Prior to such work, it is prudent to establish whether further ready biodegradation testing is warranted. The high stringency of these tests allows prioritisation of positive results over negative ones. This is recognised in the REACH regulatory framework (ECHA, 2017a) where it states “where a positive result has been obtained using a standard and valid methodology, this will be used to indicate rapid degradation for classification, irrespective of other negative results. This holds true unless there are strong Weight of Evidence or structural reasons to question this result.” In circumstances where a negative test result is generated, such as the 301B Gas Oil experiments in this study, it is important to assess the validity of the result based on the known characteristics of the test substance and the experimental setup.5. Use of RBT for UVCBsAs UVCBs, appraisal of GTLs under regulatory frameworks, such as REACH, requires knowledge of composition to determine whether the non-specific results of RBTs can be used to conclude on the biodegradability of the substance as a whole (or all constituents). This approach is based on the chemical similarity principle, i.e. the hypothesis that constituents with similar chemical structures (e.g. functional groups) and physical-chemical properties should behave similarly in biodegradation tests. For most UVCBs this is problematic due to incomplete analytical characterisation, or too broad or variable compositions. There is concern that residual test material may represent a less degradable fraction. In comparison to their petroleum derived analogues, the chemistry of GTL products is reasonably straightforward and well characterised. Furthermore, assurance of their low compositional variability has been provided through abundant analytical data collected over years of production. As such, GTL products can be considered sufficiently homologous in terms of their compositional chemical structure that conclusions based on bulk product compositions are workable.UVCBs are not subject to the 10-day window required for biodegradation testing of single constituents (ECHA, 2017a), as it is expected that a complex substrate will undergo stepwise preferential degradation of specific components, resulting in deviation from ‘typical’ kinetics. For these reasons, typical logarithmic growth phase (Monod) biodegradation kinetics (which are assumed to occur in RBTs) may not be observed with complex substances, so that even if individual constituents are readily biodegraded, the petroleum substance may not achieve the ‘10-day window’ defined by OECD (Deneer et al., 1988).Certain UVCBs, such as hydrocarbon products, can cover a wide range of physico-chemical properties such that both volatile and adsorbing / absorbing constituents are present. In these cases, it is judicious to ensure that biodegradation test methods are fully optimised for testing these substances so that losses and reduced bioavailability are minimised.ConclusionA number of GTL products have been extensively tested to assess their biodegradability characteristics. Based on these substantial efforts it is demonstrated that these products are rapidly biodegradable and unlikely to be persistent in the environment. Although categorised as UVCBs, GTL products are uniform and compositionally homologous and thus the non-specific results of RBT can be used to conclude on their biodegradability as a whole. Data and predictions on constituents of these UVCBs support the conclusion that they are wholly readily biodegradable. High volatility and hydrophobicity create difficulties when testing GTL products. As such there is a need to thoroughly consider the experimental design and testing apparatus to ensure that extrinsic factors such as abiotic losses and bioavailability do not overly impact the performance of the test. Additional measures such as assessing for abiotic losses of test substance can help interpret and understand biodegradation data. Finally, none of the current suite of standardised OECD RBT methods are fully optimised for testing volatile and hydrophobic substances such as hydrocarbons. Further effort is needed to develop and validate methods that reduce abiotic losses and maximise the presence of test substance in the degrading aqueous phase. The development of such a method will allow for the intrinsic biodegradability of volatile and hydrophobic substances to be better determined to provide more robust data for environmental risk and hazard assessments.AccreditationsAuthor links open overlay panel : David M.Brown a, Delina Lyon b, David M.V.Saunders c, Christopher B. Hughes a, James R.Wheeler c, Hua Shen b, Graham Whale da Ricardo Energy & Environment, Harwell, UKb Shell Health Americas, Houston, USAc Shell Health, Shell International B.V., The Hague, the Netherlandsd Whale Environmental Consultancy Limited, Chester, UKReceived 30 January 2020, Revised 31 March 2020, Accepted 5 April 2020, Available online 11 April 2020.Editor: Jose Julio Ortega-Calvo”.

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