Biomagnification and Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation vs. Biomagnification

American Experience | Rachel Carson & Silent Spring | Season 22 | Episode 5 | PBS

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Open Ended

What did you notice in the video? Record some observations.

​Biomagnification

​AKA bioamplification-

​increase of toxic chemicals such as pesticides as it is passed upward and maximized to the top predator in the food chain

​Bioaccumulation

​Increase in the concentration of a chemical in an organism over time

Open Ended

Explain the different between bioaccumulation and biomagnification

​Ex: Bioaccumulation

​Land:

​Flint water crisis & build up in babies/children with lead

​

​Sea:

​Plastic pollution- whales seen washed ashore?

​​Amphibians fall into both categories!

EX: ​Biomagnification

​Sea:

​Tuna with mercury

​Sharks

​Swordfish

​Land:

CA Condor drastically reduced because of lead - harming shells of eggs

​- peregrine falcons

​-bald eagles

Multiple Choice

Which organism in the food web shown would

contain the lowest concentration of chemical pollutants?

• producers

• primary consumers

• secondary consumers

• tertiary consumers

Multiple Choice

The phenomenon by which toxins concentrate in the organisms at higher trophic levels within an ecosystem is known as...

• Biotoxicity

• Biomagnification

• Eutrophication

• Predation

Multiple Choice

Consider the following food chain:

Algae > Mayfly > Minnow > Trout

In a polluted ecosystem, which organism would likely have the HIGHEST level of toxic chemicals in its body?

• Algae

• Mayfly

• Minnow

• Trout

Multiple Choice

_____________ is the increase in concentration of a pollutant in a food chain

• Bioaccumulation

• Biomagnification