BIO MAGNIFICATION

Biomagnifications, also known as bioamplification or biological magnification, is the

increasing concentration of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in the tissues of tolerant
organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain. This increase can occur as a result of:

 Persistence – where the substance cannot be broken down by environmental processes

 Food chain energetic – where the substance's concentration increases progressively as it
moves up a food chain

Low or non-existent rate of internal degradation or excretion of the substance – often due to
water-insolubility Biomagnifications is the buildup of toxins in a food chain. Biological
magnification offer refers to the process whereby certain substances such as pesticides or heavy
metals work their way into Lakes Rivers and the ocean, and the move up the food chain in
progressively greater concentrations as they are incorporated into the diet of aquatic organisms
such as zooplankton, which in turn are eaten perhaps by fish, which then may be eaten by bigger
fish, large birds, animals, or humans. The substances become increasingly concentrated in tissues
or internal organs as they move up the chain. Bioaccumulants are substances that increase in
concentration in living organisms as they take in contaminated air, water, or food because the
substances are very slowly metabolized or excreted.

There are many biological processes in the world and many of these intersect with human
activities along with their normal interactions. For instance, many migratory patterns of animals
can change or become disrupted because of human activities of natural changes in the
environment. With an increase in urbanization, there are so many new structures in place of
natural ones and animals that once used those spaces have become displaced. Natural disasters
like forest fires can also alter the environment that is used by animals for migration, mating,
living and even hunting. In general, the use of biomagnifications is associated with dangerous
toxins and chemicals that are released because of human actins. Understanding
biomagnifications allow us to gain an insight into how our actions affect the worked we live in as
well as the food we might consume as the process comes full circle. Substance evolved in
biomagnifications can be broken into two main categories persistent organic pollutants and
metals. Both of these groups are not easily degraded by organisms and are lipophilic. Persistent
organic pollutants are novel organic substances made by humans. They are relatively new
substances and organisms have not developed ways to adequately them, which contributes to
their accumulation.

Causes of biomagnifications: Understand the substance is important but knowing where they
come from is also important and a crucial point where we can intervene to make changes.

 Toxic chemicals and heavy metals run into the ocean because of industrial, agricultural
and human waste. These waste predicts are dumped into the sea form runoffs or
delinerate actions. These chemicals and, metals have been linked to many problems
including disease, birth defects, behavioural changes, reproductive problems and genetic
mutations within marine organisms. They also contribute to their deaths.
 Agricultural products like pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers seep
into the soil as they are released in farms and other agricultural areas. They eventually
make their way towards the sea. Many of these products have heavy metals in them, like
mercury, cadmium, or arsenic.
 Pollution from factories, mining and other industrial processes are widely known and
many of those pollutants are toxic chemicals as well as metals that eventually accumulate
in the food chain. Besides contaminating water supplies, they also contaminate the soil
and rivers.

Effects of biomagnifications

 As the substances of biomagnifications bloodsucker into the environment and are absorbed
we begin to see their effects.
 Generally, the organisms at the bottom of the food chain are not entirely affected by
biomagnifications because the concentration of substances is relatively low.
 As the coral reefs die, the organisms that depend on them also die. As we understand
more of biomagnifications and the many factors that play into the process, we can better
act to prevent destructions.
Eutrophication
Eutrophication or hypertrophication is when a body of water becomes overly enriched
with minerals and nutrients that induce excessive growth of plants and algae. This process
may result in oxygen depletion of the water body. One example is the "bloom" or great
increase of phytoplankton in a water body as a response to increased levels of nutrients.
Eutrophication is almost always induced by the discharge of nitrate or phosphate-
containing detergents, fertilizers, or sewage into an aquatic system.
Definition of Eutrophication

“Eutrophication is an enrichment of water by nutrient salts that causes structural changes to

the ecosystem such as: increased production of algae and aquatic plants, depletion of fish
species, general deterioration of water quality and other effects that reduce and preclude use”.

Eutrophication is a serious environmental problem since it results in a deterioration of water

quality and is one of the major impediments to achieving the quality objectives established by the
Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) at the European level.

 Use of fertilizers: Agricultural practices and the use of fertilizers in the soil contribute to the
accumulation of nutrients. When these nutrients reach high concentration levels and the
ground is no longer able to assimilate them, they are carried by rain into rivers and
groundwater that flow into lakes or seas.
 Discharge of waste water into water bodies: In various parts of the world, and particularly
in developing countries, waste water is discharged directly into water bodies such as rivers,
lakes and seas. The result of this is the release of a high quantity of nutrients which stimulates
the disproportionate growth of algae. In industrialized countries, on the other hand, waste
water can be illegally discharged directly into water bodies. When instead water is treated by
means of water treatment plants before discharge into the environment, the treatments
applied are not always such as to reduce the organic load, with the consequent accumulation
of nutrients in the ecosystem.
 Reduction of self purification capacity: Over the years, lakes accumulate large quantities of
solid material transported by the water (sediments). These sediments are such as to able to
absorb large amounts of nutrients and pollutants. Consequently, the accumulation of
sediments starts to fill the basin and, increasing the interactions between water and sediment,
the resuspension of nutrients present at the bottom of the basin is facilitated. This
phenomenon could in fact lead to a further deterioration of water quality, accentuating the
processes connected with Eutrophication).
Effects
 The disturbance of aquatic equilibria may be more or less evident according to the
enrichment of water by nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen).
 An aquatic environment with a limited availability of phosphorus and nitrogen.
 When the Eutrophication phenomenon becomes particularly intense, undesirable effects and
environmental imbalances are generated.
 The two most acute phenomena of Eutrophication are hypoxia in the deep part of the lake (or
lack of oxygen) and algal blooms that produce harmful toxins, processes that can destroy
aquatic life in the affected areas abundance of particulate substances (phytoplankton,
zooplankton, bacteria, fungi and debris) that determine the turbidity and colouration of the
water.
 abundance of inorganic chemicals such ammonia, nitrites, hydrogen sulphide etc. that in the
drinking water treatment plants induce the formation of harmful substances such as
nitrosamines suspected of mutagenicity.
 Abundance of organic substances that give the water disagreeable odours or tastes, barely
masked by chlorination in the case of drinking water. These substances, moreover, form
complex chemical compounds that prevent normal purification processes and are deposited
on the walls of the water purifier inlet tubes, accelerating corrosion and limiting the flow rate;
 the water acquires disagreeable odours or tastes (of earth, of rotten fish, of cloves, of
watermelon, etc.) due to the presence of particular algae;
 disappearance or significant reduction of quality fish with very negative effects on fishing
(instead of quality species such as trout undesirable ones such as carp become established)
 possible affirmation of toxic algae with potential damage to the population and animals
drinking the affected water;
  prohibition of touristic use of the lake and bathing, due to both the foul odour on the shores
caused by the presence of certain algae, as well as the turbidity and anything but clean and
attractive appearance of the water; bathing is dangerous because certain algae cause skin
irritation;
 Reduction of oxygen concentration, especially in the deeper layers of the lake at the end of
summer and in autumn.

In the light of these significant repercussions and serious consequent economic and naturalistic
damage, there is a clear need to curb the progress of Eutrophication, avoiding the collapse of the
affected ecosystems.

Control/Remedies
In the past, the traditional Eutrophication reduction strategies, including the alteration of excess
nutrients, physical mixing of the water, application of powerful herbicides and algaecides, have
proven ineffective, expensive and impractical for large ecosystems. Today, the main control
mechanism of the eutrophic process is based on prevention techniques, namely removal of the
nutrients that are introduced into water bodies from the water. It would be sufficient to reduce the
concentrations of one of the two main nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), in particular phosphorus
which is considered to be the limiting factor for the growth of algae, acting on localized loads (loads
associated with waste water) and widespread loads (phosphorus loads determined by diffuse sources
such as land and rain). Improvement of the purifying performance of waste water treatment plants,
installing tertiary treatment systems to reduce nutrient concentrations;
 implementation of effective filter ecosystems to remove nitrogen and phosphorus present in
the run-off water (such as phyto-purification plants);
 reduction of phosphorous in detergents;
 Rationalization of agricultural techniques through proper planning of fertilization and use of
slow release fertilizers;
 Use of alternative practices in animal husbandry to limit the production of waste water.

In cases where water quality is already so compromised as to render any preventive initiative
ineffective, “curative” procedures can be implemented, such as:

 removal and treatment of hypolimnetic water (deep water in contact with the sediments) rich
in nutrients since in direct contact with the release source;
 drainage of the first 10-20 cm of sediment subject to biological reactions and with high
phosphorus concentrations;
 oxygenation of water for restore the ecological conditions, reducing the negative effects of
the eutrophic process, such as scarcity of oxygen and formation of toxic compounds deriving
from the anaerobic metabolism;
 Chemical precipitation of phosphorous by the addition of iron or aluminum salts or calcium
carbonate to the water, which give rise to the precipitation of the respective iron, aluminum
or calcium orthophosphates, thereby reducing the negative effects related to the excessive
presence of phosphorus in the sediments.