Question

A non-biodegradable toxic chemical has entered into the food chain. Which type of food habit will you suggest to a man, vegetarian or non-vegetarian? Explain with the help of a food chain. The food chain which you would suggest, is advantageous in an another aspect. How?

Answer 1

Vegetarian food chain will be suggested in case of entry of non-biodegradable toxic chemical into the food chain. Non-biodegradable chemical gets concentrated at every trophic level by the process of biological concentration. As the concentration increases with the number of trophic level in a food chain, man will get a high concentration of the chemical in the non-vegetarian food chain than in a vegetarian food chain. Example :

Vegetarian food chain :

Plants → Man

5PPM ZOPPM

of DDT of DDT

Non-vegetarian food chain :

Plants → Goat → Man

5 PPM 240 PPM 1500 PPM

of DDT of DDT of DDT

The vegetarian food chain is advantageous in terms of energy available to man because it has less number of trophic level. As 90% of energy is lost to the environment, at every level the lesser number of the trophic level will result in lesser energy loss.