Question

Biomagnification refers to_______
A. Rapid growth due to excessive intake of nutrients
B. increase in population rate
C. decrease in population size
D. increase in concentration of Non-degradable pollutants as they passed through food chain

Answer 1

Hint: Biomagnification is defined as the process which involves the accumulation of toxic substances at various trophic levels in a food chain.

Complete answer:
The correct answer is (D).
Biomagnification refers to an increase in the concentration of non-degradable pollutants as they pass through the food chain. Biomagnification is also referred to as bioaccumulation or biological accumulation. The process in which the concentration of a toxic substance increases in the organisms as the substances pass through different trophic levels in a food chain.
The concentration at successive trophic levels continuously increases. Biomagnification occurs because the non biodegradable substances involved in the process do not get degraded or decomposed or in another sense they cannot be digested by the organisms. And also, it is a known fact that undigested substances can not be excreted. So, as a result,these non-degradable substances which are toxic in nature also remain inside the body of the organism.
And when the organism is eaten or consumed by the organism of higher trophic level, the accumulated toxins get passed from one trophic Level to the other.
Biomagnification occurs as a result of movement of harmful Chemicals and the pollutants like pesticides,etc. to the environment from where they make their way to the food chain. Biomagnification causes many adverse effects on human health as well. Biomagnification can cause heart related diseases, failure of liver, etc.
Biomagnification can also become a cause of Cancer. Biomagnification is mainly caused by the excessive use of plastics pesticides Chemicals contamination of water, etc.

Note: Biomagnification is sometimes confused with bio accumulation but the latter is concerned with the deposition of the toxic substances only within or across a single trophic level and in this process the concentration of toxins does not increase along a trophic level.