Final answer:
Biomagnification of mercury occurs more in large fish due to their consumption of many smaller organisms, the processes of biomagnification, and their longer lifespan and slow elimination of mercury.
Step-by-step explanation:
Biomagnification of mercury occurs more in large fish for several reasons:
- Larger animals consume many small organisms – Because large fish are at the top of the food chain, they consume numerous smaller organisms that may have already accumulated mercury in their bodies. This results in the transfer and accumulation of mercury in the tissues of the larger fish.
- Biomagnification processes – Mercury enters aquatic ecosystems through various sources, such as industrial discharge and deposition from the air. When mercury enters water, it undergoes biological processes and is transformed into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that accumulates in organisms and magnifies up the food chain. As a result, larger predatory fish that consume many smaller organisms end up with higher concentrations of mercury.
- Longer lifespan and slow elimination – Large fish tend to have longer lifespans compared to smaller fish. This means that the mercury they accumulate over time is not quickly eliminated from their bodies, leading to higher concentrations of mercury in their tissues.