AP Environmental Science College Board

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Content Overview

99 topics in 9 modules

☑️ Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution 15 topics
- Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
- Dose Response Curve
- Endocrine Disruptors
- Eutrophication
- Human Impacts on Ecosystems
- Human Impacts on Wetlands and Mangroves
- Lethal Dose 50% (LD 50)
- Pathogens and Infectious Diseases
- Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
- Pollution and Human Health
- Sewage Treatment
- Solid Waste Disposal
- Sources of Pollution
- Thermal Pollution
- Waste Reduction Methods
☑️ Atmospheric Pollution 8 topics
- Acid Rain
- Atmospheric CO2 and Particulates
- Indoor Air Pollutants
- Introduction to Air Pollution
- Noise Pollution
- Photochemical Smog
- Reduction of Air Pollutants
- Thermal Inversion
☑️ Earth Systems and Resources 9 topics
- Earth's Atmosphere
- Earth's Geography and Climate
- El Niño and La Niña
- Global Wind Patterns
- Plate Tectonics
- Soil Composition and Properties
- Soil Formation and Erosion
- Solar Radiation and Earth's Seasons
- Watersheds
☑️ Energy Resources and Consumption 13 topics
- Distribution of Natural Energy Resources
- Energy Conservation
- Energy from Biomass
- Fossil Fuels
- Fuel Types and Uses
- Geothermal Energy
- Global Energy Consumption
- Hydroelectric Power
- Hydrogen Fuel Cell
- Nuclear Power
- Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
- Solar Energy
- Wind Energy
☑️ Global Change 10 topics
- Endangered Species
- Global Climate Change
- Human Impacts on Biodiversity
- Increases in the Greenhouse Gases
- Invasive Species
- Ocean Acidification
- Ocean Warming
- Reducing Ozone Depletion
- Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
- The Greenhouse Effect
☑️ Land and Water Use 17 topics
- Aquaculture
- Clearcutting
- Ecological Footprints
- Impacts of Agricultural Practices
- Impacts of Mining
- Impacts of Overfishing
- Impacts of Urbanization
- Integrated Pest Management
- Introduction to Sustainability
- Irrigation Methods
- Meat Production Methods
- Methods to Reduce Urban Runoff
- Pest Control Methods
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Sustainable Forestry
- The Green Revolution
- The Tragedy of the Commons
☑️ Populations 9 topics
- Age Structure Diagrams
- Carrying Capacity
- Demographic Transition
- Generalist and Specialist Species
- Human Population Dynamics
- K-Selected r-Selected Species
- Population Growth and Resource Availability
- Survivorship Curves
- Total Fertility Rate
☑️ The Living World: Biodiversity 7 topics
- Adaptations
- Ecological Succession
- Ecological tolderance
- Ecosystem Services
- Introduction to Biodiversity
- Island Biogeography
- Natural DIsruptions to Ecosystems
☑️ The Living World: Ecosystems 11 topics
- Aquatic Biomes
- Energy Flow and the 10% Rule
- Food Chains and Food Webs
- Introduction to Ecosystems
- Primary Productivity
- Terrestrial Biomes
- The Carbon Cycle
- The Hydrologic (Water) Cycle
- The Nitrogen Cycle
- The Phosphorous Cycle
- Trophic Levels

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AP Environmental Science - Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution - Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification Content Preview

Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

Revision ContentExam Question

Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism.
Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost.
Substances accumulate in living things any time they are taken up and stored faster than they are broken down (metabolised) or excreted.
These are usually fat soluble substances that the body finds hard to get rid of.
Over time, these substances build up in the fat reserves of the animal. This build up can result in damage to the organism.

Biomagnification

Biomagnification is the process by which the concentration of a substance increases in the body of an organism as you move up the food chain.
It is also sometimes referred to as bioamplification or biological magnification.
Because many substances can be stored in the body for a long period of time, they can be passed from one trophic level to the next, resulting in a greater concentration in predatory animals further up the food chain.
Biomagnification affects all organisms, but especially those at higher trophic levels in a food chain, such as predators.
It can lead to poisoning and even death in organisms.

Differences between Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

The primary difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification is the method of gaining the harmful substance.
Bioaccumulation refers to the way that toxins enter a food chain; this usually occurs when an organism consumes a substance at a faster rate than it can eliminate it.
Contrarily, biomagnification demonstrates what happens to these toxins as they are passed up a food chain, increasing their concentration.

Examples of Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

The most well-known examples of both phenomena involve DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) – a pesticide used widely during the 1950s and 1960s.
Fish in a lake can absorb DDT directly from water and from the plankton they consume. Similarly, birds that eat these fish will have a higher concentration, and so on up the food chain, illustrating biomagnification.
When DDT is absorbed by a fish, it struggles to excrete the substance and it builds up in its tissues over time, which is an example of bioaccumulation.
Another example is mercury in fish. Mercury is absorbed by tiny aquatic plants and animals which are then eaten by small fish, who are then eaten by larger fish. The mercury is passed up the food chain and can result in dangerously high levels in large predatory fish and in the animals – or people – that eat them.

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