What is biomagnification?

Biomagnification refers to the phenomenon where certain substances, particularly toxic chemicals like heavy metals and some pesticides, accumulate in living organisms at increasing concentrations as they move up the food chain. This process occurs because these substances are not easily broken down or excreted by organisms and can become more concentrated in the tissues of predators as they consume multiple prey items, each of which may contain lower concentrations of the substance.

For example, a small fish may accumulate a certain pesticide from the water it inhabits. When a larger fish eats many of these smaller fish, the concentration of that pesticide becomes higher in the larger fish. As this continues up the food chain, the concentration can become hazardous to top predators, including humans. Understanding biomagnification is crucial for assessing the environmental and health risks associated with the use of certain pesticides and contaminants.

The other options provided do not accurately describe this process; instead, they refer to different aspects related to pesticides and chemicals in the environment.