Bioconcentration

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bioconcentration

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the mechanism of uptake?Direct absorption of water-borne chemicals through permeable surfaces like gills and skin
2. What is the physicochemical drivers?Influenced by chemical lipophilicity (KOW), molecular size, and organismal physiology
3. How do scientists measure how much a chemical sticks to a fish?They use the Bioconcentration Factor, or BCF, which compares how much of the chemical is in the fish to how much is in the water.
4. Why do some chemicals stay in fish more than others?Chemicals that dissolve easily in fats (high KOW) and are small or have a fast metabolism can stick to fish more, making them more likely to bioconcentrate.

Lipophilicity: The tendency of a chemical substance to dissolve in fats, oils, and lipids.
Xenobiotic: A chemical substance that is foreign to a biological system or organism.
Trophic Level: The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding relationships.