Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification in Marine Ecosystems

What phenomenon describes the increasing concentration of toxins at successively higher trophic levels in a food chain?

• Biomagnification

• Bioaccumulation

• Biodegradation

• Bioremediation

Which characteristic is NOT a criterion for a compound to be bioaccumulative and harmful in an ecosystem?

• It must be long-lasting and slow to degrade.

• It must be nonpolar and soluble in lipids.

• It must be biologically active.

• It must be easily eliminated from the body.

How does inorganic mercury (Hg) become a neurotoxin that biomagnifies in marine food chains?

• It is converted to methylmercury (MeHg) by anaerobic bacteria.

• It reacts with oxygen in the water to form a toxic compound.

• It is directly absorbed by marine mammals in its inorganic form.

• It breaks down into smaller, more toxic elements.

What was a key finding from the study comparing methylmercury concentrations in Año Nuevo State Reserve and San Francisco Bay?

• Año Nuevo State Reserve had slightly higher methylmercury concentrations, indicating contamination from elephant seals.

• San Francisco Bay had significantly higher methylmercury concentrations due to industrial activity.

• Both locations had negligible levels of methylmercury, suggesting no significant pollution.

• Methylmercury levels were higher in Año Nuevo, but only due to natural geological processes.