Question

Toxicology

100T PBDE 80 60 40 Bear Zoopl Amph Cod Seal Cop Kril Concentration ng/g Iw) 20

Topic: Toxicology

The concentrations (ng/g lipid weight) of the toxin PBDE were measured in various organisms in a polar ecosystem (Cop = Copepods, Kril = Krill,opl = Zooplankton, Amph = Amphipods). Explain why the levels of PDPE increase in the graph with each species? Speculate why there is a dip from seals to polar bears (limit-7 sentence).

Answer 1

The level of PBDE increase due to its bioaccumulation and biomagnification in trophic levels in food chain.

PBDE is a congener which accumulate in various ecosystem.

- there is a dip from seals to polar bears :—

It is due to species specific difference in PBDE metabolism and accumulation and it is found that polar bears have relative small amount of PBDE and also they have ability to metabolize and degrade most of PBDE.