BIOACCUMULATION

A.J JASMINE MARIYA

Bioaccumulation

• The accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other chemicals in an organism.

Stages of bioaccumulation

•Uptake

•Storage

•Elimination

Stages of bioaccumulation

•UPTAKE -Entrance of a particular chemical into an organism

• By eating,drinking,breathing,touching etc.

•Bioconcentration is a related but more specific term, referring to uptake and accumulation of a substance from water alone.

• By contrast, bioaccumulation refers to uptake from all sources combined (e.g. water, food, air, etc.)

Stages of bioaccumulation

• STORAGE -Deposit of the chemical in an organism.

• Compounds that are highly water soluble do not usually bioaccumulate in organisms life.

Stages of bioaccumulation

• ELIMINATION removal of chemicals from organisms body

• Chemicals that are easily eliminated from an organism do not bioaccumulate

• Chemicals that dissolve readily in fat have a greater potential to bioaccumulate

Bioaccumulation is the process through which organisms accumulate proteins and other important metabolites.

But when hazardous chemicals accumulate it leads to negative impacts.

Examples of hazardous accumulates

•Mercury

•DDT

• Lead

Factors affect Bioaccumulation

• Duration of explosure

• Concentration of chemicals

• Life time of the organism

• Anatomy of the organism

Effects of Bioaccumulation

•Birth defects

• Failure to reproduce

• If an important part of the food chain can not reproduce the whole food chain will get affected

•Bioaccumulation in food chain will lead to biomagnification.

Bioaccumulation & Biomagnification