Lecture 10 bioaccumulation and availability

Plastic & chemical pollution

Bioavailability

Describes the phenomena that not the total compartment concentration is available for uptake by organisms, but only a specific fraction.

Bioaccumulation

Describes the transfer and accumulation of a chemical from the environment into an organism. Chemical concentration in the organism higher than concentration in abiotic environmental compartment. net result of competing processes of uptake (i.e. respiratory & food) & elimination → BAF (Bioaccumulation factor)

Bioconcentration

net result of competing rates of uptake from respiratory surface & elimination → BCF (Bioconcentration factor)

Biomagnification

net result of competing rates of uptake from food & elimination → BMF (Biomagnification factor)

Biota to Sediment Accumulation Factor

BSAF, concentration in organism higher than in sediment, hydrophobic chemicals

Trophic magnification

TMF, accumulation of a chemical in a foodweb both from food and the environment in the natural environment

Exercise end of the lecture

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