- Insecticides and pesticides may be biodegradable or non-biodegradable.
- DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is an insecticide that is non-biodegradable, insoluble and cannot be excreted. It is stored in the fatty tissues of organisms that consume it. This process is known as bioaccumulation.
- DDT accumulates in the bodies of consumers resulting in an increase in concentration of insecticides in the bodies of organisms along the trophic levels of food chains. These chemicals are passed along the food chain, increasing its concentration in the bodies of organisms along the trophic levels. Process is known as bioamplification.
- Organisms located at the high levels in the food chain would accumulate extremely high level of DDT resulting in toxic effects.
Video on bioaccumulation