Final answer:
Bioaccumulation is true and occurs when organisms absorb contaminants more quickly than they are eliminated, leading to a higher concentration in their bodies. This is significant in ecosystems where it can lead to an increase in toxic substances, such as PCBs and mercury, at higher trophic levels, often resulting in health issues for those organisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bioaccumulation is indeed the process by which organisms, including humans, absorb contaminants more rapidly than their bodies can eliminate them, leading to an increasing concentration of these substances. Therefore, the answer to the question is A. True. This phenomenon is significant as these contaminants are often harmful and nonbiodegradable, meaning they do not easily break down in the environment.
For instance, organic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to bioaccumulate. A well-documented example of this is found in the Great Lakes aquatic food chain, where PCB concentrations have been observed to increase at each trophic level. At high trophic levels, such as in the eggs of birds that eat fish, PCB levels can be particularly elevated due to this process of bioaccumulation.
It is closely related to biomagnification, another process whereby toxic substances like PCBs and heavy metals like mercury increase in concentration as they move up trophic levels in an ecosystem. This can be notably harmful to higher trophic level organisms, such as predatory fish and birds, which may suffer from health issues such as endocrine disruption or birth defects due to the high levels of contaminants.