Which statement best defines bioaccumulation?

Which statement best defines bioaccumulation?

• A. When a pesticide is stored within a living organism and increases with further exposure.
• B. When a pesticide is released into the air as a gas.
• C. When a pesticide dissolves in water and moves with runoff.
• D. When a pesticide binds strongly to soil and becomes inert.

Answer: (A)

Bioaccumulation happens when a pesticide builds up inside a living organism because the organism takes it in faster than it can be eliminated or metabolized. Over time, with continued exposure, the amount inside the body increases, so the internal concentration can become greater than what’s present in the surrounding environment. The statement that describes this—being stored within a living organism and increasing with further exposure—captures both the storage in body tissues and the progressive buildup over time. The other scenarios describe the pesticide moving through air or water, or binding to soil, which are about environmental transport or immobilization, not buildup inside an organism.

Bioaccumulation happens when a pesticide builds up inside a living organism because the organism takes it in faster than it can be eliminated or metabolized. Over time, with continued exposure, the amount inside the body increases, so the internal concentration can become greater than what’s present in the surrounding environment. The statement that describes this—being stored within a living organism and increasing with further exposure—captures both the storage in body tissues and the progressive buildup over time. The other scenarios describe the pesticide moving through air or water, or binding to soil, which are about environmental transport or immobilization, not buildup inside an organism.