Understanding the Difference between Biomagnification and Bioaccumulation

This brings us to our first frequently misunderstood term. The build-up of a harmful substance in the body of a live organism is known as bioaccumulation. What happens is that the chemicals are absorbed through the skin or otherwise taken in by the body.

Biomagnification, which occurs when a harmful chemical rises in amount as it goes up a food chain, is commonly mistaken with bioaccumulation. The poisonous toxin may start out in small amounts in the original organism that ingested it, but that organism is eventually devoured. Because the second animal that consumes the original creature is larger, it must ingest more than one or two of the organisms.

Difference between biomagnification and bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation

The accumulation of chemicals in the bodies of living organisms is known as bioaccumulation. Toxic substances such as pollutants, especially pesticides, are generally absorbed through the skin or by ingestion by organisms. And this accumulation happens over time. It happens when a chemical’s absorption rate is greater than its excretion rate. 

These compounds go through catabolism before being excreted, which breaks them down into excretable forms. As a result, in order to last longer, the chemical must have a longer biological half-life that is free of catabolism. It’s why, even when the poisonous compound’s concentration in the environment isn’t extremely high, bioaccumulation raises the risk of chronic poisoning. Symptoms unique to the type of chemical may appear at a certain level.

Bioaccumulation also refers to the uptake of harmful substances from all conceivable sources, such as air, water, and soil. Bioconcentration, on the other hand, is the uptake of harmful chemicals solely through the consumption of water. Furthermore, these harmful compounds are predominantly lipophilic and fat-loving. As a result, they build up in the organism’s fat tissues.

Biological Magnification

The concentration of harmful substances as they progress through the trophic levels of a food chain is known as biological amplification.The accumulation of dangerous chemicals in the body of a living species is known as bioaccumulation, whereas the accumulation of poisonous substances in the body of a living organism is known as biological magnification. 

 Persistence, food chain energetics, and rate of excretion are the three elements that define the biological magnification of a chemical. Essentially, environmental mechanisms are unable to break down these harmful compounds. As a result, they are tenacious. When they travel up the food chain, the concentration of them likewise increases. As a result, the concentration of a harmful material is low at lower trophic levels compared to the concentration of that chemical at higher trophic levels. As a result, the hazardous chemical is found in the maximum concentration at the higher trophic level.

Furthermore, the rate of excretion is the third component in determining a dangerous compound’s biological amplification. Due to the chemical’s limited water solubility, internal breakdown is sluggish. As a result, there is less catabolism, resulting in a slower rate of excretion.

Biomagnification is the process through which certain pollutants in rivers, lakes, or the ocean, such as pesticides or heavy metals, accumulate at higher trophic levels of a food chain. These compounds are usually found in the diets of microscopic organisms like zooplankton, which make up the lower trophic levels of aquatic food chains.

On the other hand, biological amplification refers to the increase in the amount of hazardous substances as they move up the food chain. Furthermore, hazardous compounds are ingested or absorbed into the body by organisms, resulting in bioaccumulation. Toxic compounds, on the other hand, start out in modest concentrations at the bottom of the food chain and gradually increase as the food chain rises to higher trophic levels.

In a nutshell, bioaccumulation and biological magnification are two ways through which harmful substances build up at various levels of a food chain. Persistence, food chain energetics, and the rate of excretion are all factors that influence the concentration of harmful substances at a given level of the food chain.

Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification examples

• Car emission pollutants accumulate in birds and other animals as an example of bioaccumulation and biomagnification
• Mercury levels in fish are rising
• Pesticides build up in the bodies of small animals
• The bioaccumulation mechanism is exemplified by mercury pollution. Mercury (or methylmercury, a chemical equivalent) is typically taken up by bacteria and phytoplankton. Mercury is accumulated by little fish, which feed bacteria and phytoplankton
• The buildup of the chemical DDT in zooplanktons is a good example of biomagnification. These zooplanktons are eaten by little fish

Conclusion

This brings us to the first term that is usually misunderstood. Bioaccumulation is the accumulation of a toxic substance in the body of a living creature. The chemicals are absorbed through the skin or ingested in some other way by the body.

Bioaccumulation is frequently confused with biomagnification, which happens when the amount of a dangerous substance increases as it moves up the food chain. The toxin may start out in modest doses in the organism that swallowed it, but it is gradually devoured.