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Biomagnification is the buildup of concentration of a substance (x) in a food chain. For example the DDT concentration in parts per million increases with trophic level. Concentrations build up in organism's fat and tissue. Predators accumulate higher levels than prey. Biological magnification often refers to the process whereby substances such ...
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are organochlorine compounds with the formula C 12 H 10−x Cl x; they were once widely used in the manufacture of carbonless copy paper, as heat transfer fluids, and as dielectric and coolant fluids for electrical equipment. [ 2 ] They are highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical compounds, formerly used in ...
Lake ecosystem. A lake ecosystem or lacustrine ecosystem includes biotic (living) plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (non-living) physical and chemical interactions. [ 1 ] Lake ecosystems are a prime example of lentic ecosystems (lentic refers to stationary or relatively still freshwater, from the Latin lentus, which means ...
The compounds with the very highest chlorine numbers (e.g. octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) are, however, so poorly soluble that this hinders their bioaccumulation. [84] Bioaccumulation is followed by biomagnification. Lipid-soluble compounds are first accumulated to microscopic organisms such as phytoplankton (plankton of plant character, e.g. algae).
Food chain in a Swedish lake. Osprey feed on northern pike, which in turn feed on perch which eat bleak which eat crustaceans.. A food chain is a linear network of links in a food web, often starting with an autotroph (such as grass or algae), also called a producer, and typically ending at an apex predator (such as grizzly bears or killer whales), detritivore (such as earthworms and woodlice ...
t. e. Eutrophication is a general term describing a process in which nutrients accumulate in a body of water, resulting in an increased growth of microorganisms that may deplete the water of oxygen. [ 1 ][ 2 ] Eutrophication may occur naturally or as a result of human actions. Manmade, or cultural, eutrophication occurs when sewage, industrial ...
Environmental toxicology is a multidisciplinary field of science concerned with the study of the harmful effects of various chemical, biological and physical agents on living organisms. [ 1 ][ 2 ] Ecotoxicology is a subdiscipline of environmental toxicology concerned with studying the harmful effects of toxicants at the population and ecosystem ...
Lake Hāwea, New Zealand. Limnology (/ lɪmˈnɒlədʒi / lim-NOL-ə-jee; from Ancient Greek λίμνη (límnē) 'lake' and -λογία (-logía) 'study of') is the study of inland aquatic ecosystems. [1] The study of limnology includes aspects of the biological, chemical, physical, and geological characteristics of fresh and saline, natural ...