What Are Bioaccumulation and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals?
As described in section 2 of this chapter, according to the second law of thermodynamics, energy transfer from one trophic level to another is inefficient. The result is energy movement in one direction, from the sun, through an ecosystem s food webs, and ultimately into space beyond the reach of the biosphere. In contrast, matter remains with Earth, usually within an ecosystem, where it is constantly cycled between the biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem through biogeochemical cycles such as the carbon cycle. (See section 3 of this chapter, “How Do Nutrients Move Within and Among Ecosystems?”) Biological magnification, or bioaccumulation, which has been recognized in human and wildlife populations for years, occurs because of these different fates of matter and energy in ecosystems and because some materials (especially heavy metals and organic chlorine chemicals) are poorly metabolized or not metabolized by consumers and are stored in fat. Rachel Carson discussed the proce
Related Questions
- How are chemicals such as pharmaceuticals (including chemotherapy drugs), hormones, endocrine-disrupting compounds and pesticides removed from the water?
- Are endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the aquatic environment impacting fish populations?
- What Are Bioaccumulation and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals?
