What is biomagnification?

Biomagnification refers to the process where the concentration of toxic substances increases as you move up the food chain, particularly at higher trophic levels. When organisms at lower levels of the food chain, such as phytoplankton or small fish, accumulate toxins from their environment—often because of pollution—they become food for larger predators. As these toxins are not easily broken down or excreted, they accumulate in the bodies of organisms higher up in the food chain, leading to significantly higher concentrations of toxins in these animals.

For instance, if a small fish consumes contaminated plankton, it will retain those toxins. When a larger fish eats several small fish, it accumulates all those toxins, leading to even higher levels. This is particularly concerning for top predators like birds of prey or large mammals, as they can suffer severe health effects from the high concentrations of these toxic substances, such as heavy metals or certain pesticides. Understanding biomagnification is essential in environmental science because it illustrates the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the far-reaching effects of pollution.