Sub 13: Bioaccumulation

Question 1

what is a persistent toxic pollutant?

Answer 1

not easily broken down in the environment

Question 2

what is biotransformation?

Answer 2

when pollutant may be degraded or may result in the formation of another toxic chemical

Question 3

give an example of biotransformation

Answer 3

mercury - changes from moderately toxic to highly

Question 4

what is bioaccumulation?

Answer 4

the build up of toxic pollutants in the cells of organisms to a concentration higher than in the surrounding environment

Question 5

what is biomagnification?

Answer 5

toxic pollutant becomes very harmful as they become more concentrated in successive trophic levels of a food web. top of the food chain most affected

Question 6

what is DDT?

Answer 6

insecticide and is very persistent, stable in the environment.
it bioaccumulates in the body fat
biomagnified through the food chain

Question 7

what does DDT break down to form?

Answer 7

DDE - thins the shells of many birds