Bioaccumulation refers to the gradual build-up over a period of time of a chemical in an organism's body. When an organism absorbs a substance - in this case, a pollutant - from a medium such as water, that pollutant is then distributed throughout the organism's system. Predators that consume these organisms can receive the pollutants as well. The phenomena can cause significant environmental health risks. A variety of different pollutants commonly cause problems with bioaccumulation.
GEO-1-6
Bioaccumulation refers to the gradual build-up over a period of time of a chemical in an organism's body. When an organism absorbs a substance - in this case, a pollutant - from a medium such as water, that pollutant is then distributed throughout the organism's system. Predators that consume these organisms can receive the pollutants as well. The phenomena can cause significant environmental health risks. A variety of different pollutants commonly cause problems with bioaccumulation.