Ecology

Bioaccumulation

定義

The buildup of toxins such as pesticides or heavy metals in bird tissues through the food chain.

詳細な説明

Bioaccumulation is especially devastating for birds because they have long lifespans during which toxins concentrate progressively. DDT bioaccumulated in the tissues of peregrine falcons and bald eagles, causing eggshell thinning that crashed their populations before bans were enacted in the 1970s. Today, legacy organochlorines have largely been replaced by ongoing threats from rodenticides (second-generation anticoagulants accumulating in owls) and lead from spent ammunition accumulating in vultures and condors.

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