BIOACCUMULATION

Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation or biomagnification is the method by which contamination of the natural environment by continual chemicals, encompassing endocrine disrupters and other toxicants, directs to the accumulation of these chemicals by an whole ecosystem. For demonstration, aquatic contamination by organochlorines and other toxicants leads to the subsequent accumulation of these chemicals by small aquatic wildlife. As these contaminated animals drop prey to carnivorous fish, birds and bigger animals, the concentrations of the toxicants are progressively magnified in each predator. Humans who rely on beef taken from these animals will also be subject to biomagnification of these toxicants and may suffer ...