The process by which the concentration of a toxic, non-biodegradable substance increases in the body of living organisms as we go higher up in the food chain is called biomagnification.
This might be the result of exposure to a toxic pollutant in the environment or incorporation of the pollutant into the body of organisms through various means.
An example of biomagnification is the accumulation of mercury from the toxic, polluted water into bodies of fish. The concentration of mercury increased proportionally to the order in the food chain. Consumption of these fishes led to Minamata disease that was characterised by severe neurological disease, impaired vision and loss of muscular coordination.
