With the help of a well labelled diagram explain how the accumulation of toxic substances increases as we move up the food chain.

Below diagram shows the increase in accumulation of toxic substances as we move up the food chain:

Biomagnification means increasing the concentration of various toxic substances along the food chain. Toxic substances at the level of primary producers get concentrated at each trophic level as they move up the food chain. The phenomenon of concentrated toxic deposition at the higher trophic level is known as bioaccumulation.

For example, if there are traces of toxic chemicals in water, then their concentration in algae will be much higher. When fish eat the algae, the concentration of toxins will increase further. Therefore, accumulation of a small amount of toxic chemicals in water can have a serious impact on the fish that live in it.