WarmupSymbiosis Worksheet
 Get out Homework and turn it in!!

Essential QuestionWhat happens when humans
introduce chemicals into the
environment?
Bioaccumulation &
Biomagnification
Chemicals in our Environment
Bioaccumulation

The gradual buildup, over time, of a
chemical in a LIVING ORGANISIM
Why Does This Happen?
Chemicals are taken up faster than they
are used
Or
 Chemicals can’t be broken down by the
organism for use

Pollutants
Chemical pollutants that are
bioaccumulated come from many sources
Pesticides
 Industrial Smoke Stacks
 Automobile Emissions
 Deliberate Discharge of Compounds into
Water

Biomagnification

The buildup of substances by successive trophic
levels

Example: A predator will have higher
concentrations of a chemical compared to its prey
DDT
Soil(10ppm)Earthworms(141ppm)Robins(444ppm)
24 units
12 units
6 units
2 units
1 unit
DDT

Dicholoro-diphenyl-trichloroethane
An insecticide used in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s
 entered the environment in run-off from land
 Was banned in 1972 after the Bald Eagle
population had a noticeable crash.

What is the difference
Biomagnification
Bioaccumulation