Question

The concentration of DDT in a certain lake is 0.0000003 ppm (parts per million), while the concentration of DDT in the tissues of a nearby osprey (a fish-eating bird) is 25 ppm. This is an example of ________.

Answer 1

biomagnification

Step-by-step explanation:

When the concentration of toxic compounds such as pesticides increases at successively higher level in tissues of tolerant organisms, then this process is known as biomagnification.

Biomagnification can occur due to one of the following reasons:

1. The toxic substance cannot b broken down by the environmental processes.

2. The concentration of substance increases as it moves up the food chain.

3. The substance is water insoluble.

Therefore, the concentration of DDT in the given case is more osprey than the lake because of biomagnification.