How does any toxic substance get biomagnified among organisms? Explain in brief.
Biomagnification occurs when excessive agrochemicals, either in their original or metabolised forms, enter into plants. These toxic substances then ultimately enter different organisms of the trophic levels including human beings through this process.
Quite significant levels of such agrochemicals have been found to be present in the tissues of many organisms besides being accumulated in soil and water bodies. The presence of these persistent toxic compounds in organism tissues at various trophic levels demonstrates how biomagnification transfers and accumulates these substances among organisms.
Explanation
The textbook context explains biomagnification as the process where agrochemicals enter plants first, then move through trophic levels to reach humans. The key mechanism is the accumulation of these toxic substances in tissues of organisms at different trophic levels. The context emphasizes that significant levels of agrochemicals are found in tissues, showing how these substances persist and concentrate as they move through the food chain.