Biomagnification refers to increase in concentration of the toxicant at successive trophic levels due to accumulation of a toxic substance by an organism. The toxic substance cannot be metabolised or excreted, is thus passed on to the next higher trophic level along a food chain. one such example is that of of DDT which increases at successive trophic levels.
if it starts at 0.003 ppb (ppb = parts per billion) in water, it can ultimately can reach 25 ppm (ppm = parts per million) in fish-eating birds, through biomagnification. High concentrations of DDT disturb calcium metabolism in birds, which causes thinning of eggshell and their premature breaking, eventually causing decline in bird populations.
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