Bioaccumulation
Content
Bioaccumulation
 Biomagnification
 Bioaccumulation vs Biomagnification
 What types of substances
bioaccumulate and which do not?
 Concentration of DDT in tissue
 Concentration of mercury in fish

Bioaccumulation

Definition: The accumulation (gradual
gathering) of substances transferring from
the environment into an organism.

Types of Substances that can accumulate:
Nutrients, Toxins, Pesticides, Organic and
Inorganic Compounds and Elements (such
as mercury), and other pollutants.
Bioaccumulation
 How
substances can get from the
environment into an organism:
 Food intake (can eat something from
environment that contains substance)
 Respiration (breathing it in)
 Skin Contact
Bioaccumulation

Example of Pesticides: DDT (chemical)

Example of naturally occurring
elements: MERCURY (low
concentrations can cause
Link to Resource

http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/WildlifeConservation/Food-Webs.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxq
DaTUh08o
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5PUoKLxlA

”Madd as a hatter”
Biomagnification
Substances such as pollutants become
concentrated as you move up the food chain
Energy passes through the food chain
Energy is lost as you move
up the Food Pyramid
Levels of toxins and harmful
substances can increase as you move
up the Food Pyramid
Bioaccumulation vs Biomagnification



Both describe the
increase of the
amount of a
substance in an
organism (1,3)
Bioaccumulation
occur within a single
organism (1)
Biomagnification
occurs across
trophic levels (3)
Concentration of DDT
in tissue
•How
does it pass
through a food chain
•Used
as a pesticide
– from insects to fish,
birds and then larger
animals
Mercury in Fish



Fish absorb mercury
efficiently
Larger fish eat many
small fish and build
up higher levels of
mercury
Some have been
banned for
consumption for
they present a toxic
risk
Works cited
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
"Bioaccumulation". Wikipedia. 13.06.2010
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioaccumulation>.
"Bioaccumulation". Toxics US Gov. 13.06.2010
<http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/bioaccumulation.html>.
http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/2bioma95.html
"Biomagnification and Bioaccumulation". Tripod. 13.06.2010
<http://domchemct.tripod.com/index.html>.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Example_of_biomagnification
"Biomagnification". 13.06.2010
<http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/D/DDTandTrophicLevels.html
>. http://www.dowcorning.com/content/publishedlit/01-1128-01.pdf
"Environmental Biology - Ecosystems ". 13.06.2010
<http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/ecosystem.html>. http://www.pollutionissues.com/ABo/Bioaccumulation.html
"Food Chain/Biomagnification". 13.06.2010 <http://science.jrank.org/pages/2801/FoodChain-Web-Biomagnification.html>.