Question

Which of the following in a food chain will have the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in their body- small fish, zooplanktons, birds, phytoplankton?

Answer 1

Biological magnification:

1. It is the process of increasing concentration of persistent pollutants per unit weight of the organism with the rise in trophic level.
2. Any non-biodegradable chemicals when consumed by organisms will in turn get into the food chain it is involved in.
3. These chemicals get more and more concentrated at each trophic level.
4. So in the organisms given above birds lie at the highest trophic level and have the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals.

Phytoplankton ----------> zooplankton ----------> small fish ----------> birds