Bioaccumulation
From Coastal Wiki
Definition of bioaccumulation:
Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of a certain chemical into the living tissue of an organism from its environment. This accumulation may result from direct absorption from the environment or from ingestion of food particles. [1]
This is the common definition for bioaccumulation, other definitions can be discussed in the article
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Notes
The concentration of bioacumulation substances usually increases in with the age of an organism. Bioaccumulation is one of the factors used to asses the environmental hazard of a chemical. Chemicals with a higher tendency towards bioaccumulation form a greater hazard. When a substance bioaccumulates at each step of the food chain it will biomagnify [2]
Like tocicity and persistence, bioaccumulation is an important criterion to determine the environmental impact of a substance. According to OSPAR criteria, a substance poses a risk for bioaccumulation when fishes accumulate by direct adsorption (uptake through their gills), more than 500 times the concentration of the surrounding water.[3]
References
- ↑ http://www.belgochlor.be/nl/B102.htm
- ↑ Biology of marine birds. Schreiber, E.A. & Burger, J. (Eds). 2002. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. 722 pp.
- ↑ OSPAR CONVENTION 2005, Cut-Off Values for the Selection Criteria of the OSPAR Dynamic Selection and Prioritisation Mechanism for Hazardous Substances
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