Environment & Ecology Practice Question›› Environment and Ecology ››
Pollution
››
Bioaccumulation
M
Question 1
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With relation to bioaccumulation consider the following statements:
1. Persistent Organic Pollutants can bioaccumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms.
2. Concentration of toxins increases at higher levels of the food chain.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation Statement 1 is correct: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) such as DDT, PCBs, and dioxins are fat-soluble and accumulate in the fatty tissues of organisms over time leading to bioaccumulation. Since they are not easily broken down, they remain in the body and increase in concentration with continued exposure.
Statement 2 is not correct: Concentration of toxins increases at higher levels of the food chain is actually biomagnification, not bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of toxins within a single organism over time, not across levels of the food chain.
Biomagnification occurs across trophic levels in a food chain, where toxin concentrations increase as you move up the chain (e.g., small fish → bigger fish → top predator).
The Stockholm Convention addresses the issue of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which can bioaccumulate in organisms and cause long-term environmental and health issues.
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