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Chapter 22: Problem 4

What are the two classes of chemicals that pose the most serious long-term toxic risk, and how do they affect food chains?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The two classes of chemicals posing the most serious long-term toxic risks are bioaccumulative and persistent chemicals. Bioaccumulative chemicals, as they build up in organisms, move up the food chain through a process called biomagnification. Persistent chemicals remain in the environment for a long time and manage to enter the food chain, harming organisms.

Step by step solution

01

Identification of Chemical Classes

The two classes of chemicals that pose the most serious long-term toxic risk are bioaccumulative and persistent chemicals. Bioaccumulative chemicals are those that build up in living organisms over time, while persistent chemicals are those that are resistant to environmental degradation and thus remain in the environment for a long time.
02

Impact on Food Chains - Bioaccumulative Chemicals

Bioaccumulative chemicals can enter the food chain through contamination of water or soil. They can be ingested by small organisms and start to build up in their bodies. Since these organisms are often at the bottom of the food chain, anything that eats them will ingest the chemicals. These predators also absorb the chemicals and store them in their bodies. This process continues up the food chain and over time, causes a magnification effect where the higher levels of the food chain experience higher levels of contaminants. This is called biomagnification.
03

Impact on Food Chains - Persistent Chemicals

Persistent chemicals, due to their resistance to degradation, can remain in the environment for a long period of time. They continue to build up in concentration in the environment and can potentially enter the food chain. Because they do not degrade, they can be passed along the food chain causing damage to organisms.

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