Everything about Bioaccumulation totally explained
Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a
toxic substance at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost. Thus, the longer the
biological half-life of the substance the greater the risk of chronic poisoning, even if environmental levels of the toxin are very low.
This is one reason why chronic poisoning is a common aspect of environmental health in the workplace. As people spend so much time, for so many months in these environments, very low levels of toxins can be lethal over time.
An example of poisoning in the workplace can be seen from the phrase "as mad as a hatter". The process for stiffening the felt used in making hats involved
mercury, which forms organic species such as
methylmercury, which is lipid soluble, and tends to accumulate in the brain resulting in
mercury poisoning.
Other lipid (fat)
soluble poisons include
tetra-ethyl lead compounds (the
lead in leaded
petrol), and
DDT. These compounds are stored in the body's
fat, and when the
fatty tissues are used for energy, the compounds are released and cause acute poisoning.
Strontium 90, part of the
fallout from
atomic bombs, is chemically similar enough to calcium that it's utilized in
osteogenesis, where its radiation can cause damage for a long time.
Naturally produced toxins can also bioaccumulate. The marine
algal blooms known as "
red tides" can result in local filter feeding organisms such as
mussels and
oysters becoming toxic; coral fish can be responsible for the poisoning known as
ciguatera when they accumulate a toxin called
ciguatoxin from reef algae.
Some animal species exhibit bioaccumulation as a mode of defense; by consuming toxic plants or animal prey, a species may accumulate the toxin which then presents a deterrent to a potential predator. One example is the
tobacco hornworm, which concentrates
nicotine to a toxic level in its body as it consumes
tobacco plants.
Other compounds that are not normally considered toxic can be accumulated to toxic levels in organisms. The classic example is of
Vitamin A, which becomes concentrated in
carnivore livers of for example
polar bears: as a pure carnivore that feeds on other carnivores (seals), they accumulate extremely large amounts of Vitamin A in their livers. It was known by the native peoples of the arctic that the livers shouldn't be eaten, but arctic
explorers have suffered
Hypervitaminosis A from eating the bear livers (and there has been at least one example of similar poisoning of
Antarctic explorers eating
husky dog livers).
Further Information
Get more info on 'Bioaccumulation'.
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