The Process of Bioaccumulation - Essay Example

Bioaccumulation Bioaccumulation Bioaccumulation is the process occurring in aquatic ecosystem wherein the chemical concentration in an organism has a higher level than that of the water due to different chemical uptakes such as dietary absorption, respiration, or through dermal absorption. There are two contributing processes leading to bioaccumulation namely bioconcentration and biomagnification (Gobas et al., 2003). The issue of bioaccumulation can be considered as one of the detrimental effects humans have on the environment.

Studying the process of bioaccumulation the movement of xenobiotic pollutants (found within the body of the organisms) through the food chain (Kim and Kim, 2013) One of the foci in the issue of bioaccumulation is the lack of intensive research and accumulated knowledge specifically in terms of the bioaccumulation of hazardous chemicals and their long-term effects in humans. One of the main reasons for the said lack of knowledge and efforts for research is the fact that the understanding of the concept is “superficial” which means humans are detaching themselves from what is happening in the aquatic ecosystem though there is a great probability that the effects of accumulated toxic materials would be more potent for terrestrial organisms.

The superficial view on bioaccumulation lessens the impact and the urgency for in-depth study. In addition, as explored by the study conducted by Kim and Kim, the concept is to a certain degree lost in translation specifically in non-English speaking nations. This is also related to the issue that the lack of in-depth exploration on the subject causes educational institutions to disseminate misconceptions that can cause an escalation of more misconceptions to students as well as the other members of the general population (Kim and Kim, 2013).