Bioaccumulation (pesticides)

A Team Pickles Production

By James Pickles

What is it?

• It’s a term for the accumulation of substances in an organism or part of an organism

• for example pesticides

• It occurs if the pesticide level is persistent

• It accumulates in the fatty tissues of the organism

Continued

• The level at which a substance accumulates depends on the rate of uptake (through the gills of a fish, contact with the skin)

• How quickly the substance is removed depends on the metabolic process, the lipid content of the organism and other environmental and physical factors

Continued

• The more hydrophobic a substance is the more likely it is to bioaccumulate

• If the pesticide level within an animal is high enough it can kill the animal

• The pesticide is passed on to other organisms when the ones with pesticides contained in the fatty tissues are eaten (biomagnification)

• The concentration of the pesticide is then increased as a predator will eat numerous of the prey

Biomagnification

Overcoming the Problem…

• To overcome the problem biodegradable pesticides should be used so they aren’t stored in the tissues of organisms