Question

Give an example of a substance which leads to biological magnification

Answer 1

Biomagnification, also known as bioamplification or biological magnification, is the increasing concentration of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in the tissues of tolerant organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain. This increase can occur as a result of:

Persistence – where the substance cannot be broken down by environmental processes

Food chain energetics – where the substance's concentration increases progressively as it moves up a food chain

Low or non-existent rate of internal degradation or excretion of the substance – often due to water-insolubility