In this post,we will construe 2 terms in relation to the environment and nutrition, namely:
Bio-accumulation -this is whereby an organism has a higher concentration of pollutants e.g. pesticides, fertilizers , heavy metals i.e. lead , mercury etc than that in its surroundings i.e. air , water, soil etc.Bio-concentration also involves the accumulation of substances in an organism though its transmission is confined to water uptake. For bio-accumulation or bio-concentration to occur, an organism may have been exposed to the chemical or pollutant for a long time so that the build-up is gradual.The chemicals penetrate into the organism either through food ingestion, water intake, respiration, epidermal contact etc
Bio-magnification-the collection of substances through successive levels of the food chain.The concentration tends to increase as one moves to a succeeding level of the food chain. Therefore whereas there is an accumulation of pollutants in an organism, the degree of concentration elevates as one proceeds to higher levels of the trophic chain.Since the pollutant is not broken down at any point, when an organism at the lower level of food chain is eaten by an organism at a higher level of the food chain, the chemicals are transferred to the larger organism.The chemicals enter an organism through various routes, i.e. digestion, absorption, For example, from an organism at the lowest level of the food chain to that at the top of the food chain.
Later on when humans consume the affected foods e.g. fish that have accumulated the pollutants, they also become exposed to those chemicals. This places them at risk of health complications . It is therefore, important to be aware of your food origins. Ensure that you purchase from reliable traders.