Bioaccumulation (pesticides)

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Bioaccumulation (pesticides)

• A Team Pickles Production
• By James Pickles

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What is it?

• Its 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

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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

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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

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Biomagnification
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Overcoming the Problem

• To overcome the problem biodegradable pesticides
  should be used so they arent stored in the
  tissues of organisms