1 / 23

Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification. Bioaccumulation This is the way materials become concentrated in the tissues of a living organism. Biomagnification This is the way substances become concentrated in living things as the substance moves through a food chain. (up trophic levels).

alexia
Download Presentation

Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

  2. Bioaccumulation This is the way materials become concentrated in the tissues of a living organism. Biomagnification This is the way substances become concentrated in living things as the substance moves through a food chain. (up trophic levels)

  3. Bioaccumulation • This is the process by which pollutants are absorbed and stored in living org’s. • Chronic exposure over long periods may lead to bioaccumulation. • Initial exposure may have been to concentrations too low to cause problems but accumulation of pollutant may result in poisoning

  4. Bioaccumulation • This is the process of the accumulation of materials in living things. • Bioaccumulation occurs when the rate at which the material is absorbed and stored in the organism is faster than the rate at which it is removed. Removal may be through excretion or because of the breakdown of the substance.

  5. Bioaccumulation cont’d • Liposoluble pollutants tend to build up in lipid stores... • Water soluble pollutants tend to be excreted more easily. • Chlorinated organic compounds (egorganochlorine insecticides, dioxins and PCBs and heavy metals all bioaccumulate. dioxin

  6. Biomagnification • This is the concentration of pollutants that bioaccumulate as a result of them passing up trophic levels. • Pollutants that bioaccumulate in one organism are eaten by predators, and as large quantities of prey are eaten over a long time the pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated.

  7. The mercury concentration in the tissues of the tuna is....

  8. The more trophic levels there are in a food chain the.....

  9. Biomagnification of DDT

  10. Biomagnification • http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module02/FoodChain.html

  11. Synergism • Substances act synergistically when their combined affect is greater than the sum of their individual affects • e.g. the synergy between oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide • Also their is a synergistic affect between zinc and cadmium

  12. Mutagenicity • Substances or forms of energy that cause changes to DNA are termed mutagens • The effect of a mutagen depends not only on the extent of the damage to DNA but also depends on the type of cells that are affected • PCBs, dioxins, asbestos and ionising radiation

  13. Carcinogenicity • Any substance that can cause cancer is termed a carcinogen. • These are mutagens that affect normal tissue growth • Cadmium, asbestos, DDT, carbon tetrachloride and many more!

  14. Teratogenicity • Teratogens are substances that can cause birth defects without altering DNA • They work by disrupting normal development • Mercury and the herbicide 2,4,5T are examples of pollutant teratogens

More Related