UPSC Exam  >  UPSC Questions  >  Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move f... Start Learning for Free
Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant?
  1. Long-lived
  2. Mobile
  3. Soluble in water
Select the correct answer using code given below.
  • a)
    1 and 2 only
  • b)
    2 and 3 only
  • c)
    1 and 3 only
  • d)
    1, 2 and 3
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to ...
Biomagnification is the process by which certain pollutants become more concentrated in the tissues of organisms as they move through the food chain. This occurs because the pollutants are not easily broken down or excreted by organisms, leading to their accumulation in higher trophic levels.

To understand the characteristics that should be exhibited by a pollutant for biomagnification to occur, let's evaluate each option:

1) Long-lived: A pollutant that is long-lived means that it persists in the environment for an extended period of time. This characteristic is important for biomagnification because if a pollutant has a short lifespan, it will not have enough time to accumulate in the tissues of organisms as they move up the food chain. Therefore, a long-lived pollutant is necessary for biomagnification to occur.

2) Mobile: A pollutant that is mobile means that it can easily move from one location to another. This characteristic is important because if a pollutant is not mobile, it will not be able to disperse and reach different trophic levels in the food chain. Without mobility, the pollutant will remain localized and not accumulate in higher trophic levels. Therefore, a mobile pollutant is necessary for biomagnification to occur.

3) Soluble in water: A pollutant that is soluble in water means that it can dissolve and mix with water. This characteristic is important because water is a common medium through which pollutants can enter the food chain. If a pollutant is not soluble in water, it will have difficulty being absorbed by organisms and will not be able to enter the food chain in significant amounts. Therefore, solubility in water is necessary for biomagnification to occur.

Based on the above analysis, the correct answer is option 'A' which states that for biomagnification to occur, a pollutant should exhibit characteristics of being long-lived and mobile. Solubility in water is not a necessary characteristic for biomagnification.

In conclusion, for biomagnification to occur in a food chain, a pollutant should be long-lived and mobile. These characteristics allow the pollutant to persist in the environment and move through different trophic levels, resulting in its increasing concentration in higher organisms. Solubility in water is not a necessary characteristic for biomagnification.
Free Test
Community Answer
Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to ...
  • Pollutants specially nondegradable ones move through the various trophic levels in an ecosystem. Non degradabale pollutants are those materials, which cannot be metabolised by the living organisms. For example chlorinated hydrocarbons. Movement of these pollutants involve two main processes: 
    • Bioaccumulation: It refers to how pollutants enter a food chain. In bioaccumulation there is an increase in concentration of a pollutant from the environment to the first organism in a food chain. 
    • Biomagnification: Biomagnification refers to the tendency of pollutants to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next. Thus in biomagnification there is an increase in concentration of a pollutant from one link in a food chain to another. 
  • People are concerned about these phenomena because together they enable even small concentrations of chemicals in the environment to find their way into organisms in high enough dosages to cause problems. In order for biomagnification to occur, the pollutant must be 
    • long-lived; 
    • mobile; 
    • soluble in fats; 
    • biologically active. 
  • If a pollutant is short-lived, it will be broken down before it can become dangerous. If it is not mobile, it will stay in one place and is unlikely to be taken up by organisms. If the pollutant is soluble in water, it will be excreted by the organism. Pollutants that dissolve in fats, however, may be retained for a long time. It is traditional or customary to measure the amount of pollutants in fatty tissues of organisms such as fish. In mammals, we often test the milk produced by females, since the milk has a lot of fat in it and because the very young are often more susceptible to damage from toxins (poisons). If a pollutant is not active biologically, it may biomagnify, but we really do not worry about it much, since it probably, will not cause any problems. 
  • Hence option (a) is the correct answer
Explore Courses for UPSC exam

Top Courses for UPSC

Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? for UPSC 2024 is part of UPSC preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the UPSC exam syllabus. Information about Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for UPSC 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for UPSC. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for UPSC Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Pollutants tend to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next in the food chain resulting in Biomagnification. In order for biomagnification to occur, which of the following characteristics should be exhibited by a pollutant? Long-lived Mobile Soluble in waterSelect the correct answer using code given below.a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice UPSC tests.
Explore Courses for UPSC exam

Top Courses for UPSC

Explore Courses
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev