As the pesticide DDT moves up the trophic levels in a food web, the concentration of DDT within organisms

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Biology

Summer Downs

15 February, 21:32

As the pesticide DDT moves up the trophic levels in a food web, the concentration of DDT within organisms

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Quinn Chen · Answer 1

As the pesticide DDT moves up the trophic levels in a food web, the concentration of DDT within organisms increases. This is known as Biomagnification.

This is because the chemicals are processed within the internal systems of the different organisms in each trophic level. DDT is fat-soluble and it takes a long time for it to be broken down. This then becomes stored within the fatty tissues of animals. As the predator eats an organism that has small amounts of DDT and continues to consume organisms with such exposure, the amount of DDT accumulates within the predator's system.