Bioaccumulation is the net accumulation of chemicals in an organism from all exposure routes (water, food, sediment, air) when uptake exceeds elimination, leading to concentrations higher than in the surrounding environment. It is quantitatively characterized by metrics such as the bioaccumulation factor (BAF), which relates organism concentration to ambient concentration at steady state. Bioaccumulation is influenced by physicochemical properties of contaminants (e.g., hydrophobicity, persistence), organism traits (lipid content, metabolic capacity), and environmental conditions. It is a central topic in ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment, particularly for persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) substances and contaminants of emerging concern.
There is a forever chemical lurking in the world's oceans that could be fundamentally altering the biology of marine life before it even hatches. PFOS, a notorious member of the PFAS family of chemicals, is known for its ...
Plants & Animals
13 hours ago
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Juvenile Chinook salmon in the Lower Fraser River estuary are feeding and growing in a slurry of contaminants from pharmaceuticals, personal care products to industrial chemicals, according to a new Simon Fraser University ...
Plants & Animals
May 20, 2026
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The fresh air, picturesque vistas and pristine bush of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney draw millions of visitors a year. Unfortunately, the Blue Mountains are also the site of a controversial investigation into water contamination ...
Environment
May 15, 2026
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Microplastics are now widely distributed throughout the environment—in water, in the air, in the soil and even inside living organisms, including marine life. However, most studies to date have focused on adult fish, including ...
Ecology
Apr 29, 2026
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Mercury released into the oceans affects marine environments worldwide. Traditionally, its distribution and quantity have been estimated using marine biogeochemical simulation models.
Environment
Apr 10, 2026
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Svalbard reindeer live in a place so remote they have actually evolved to become a subspecies. But that remoteness isn't enough to protect them from contaminants from the industrial world.
Environment
Apr 9, 2026
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A new international study offers insights into the health risks posed by crops' absorption of "contaminants of emerging concern" (CECs) and flags knowledge gaps the authors say must be addressed. CECs include pharmaceuticals, ...
Agriculture
Apr 1, 2026
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A new paper investigates how raptors, or birds of prey like hawks and eagles, act as a sentinel species that can reveal the level of forever chemicals in the local environment. The forever chemicals, or PFAS, are especially ...
Environment
Mar 26, 2026
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13
A study published in The Journal of Wildlife Management found varying risks to species due to mercury pollution across the United States' National Wildlife Refuge System, the world's largest network of lands and waters conserved ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 25, 2026
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8
An estimated 500 million to 1 billion people worldwide are affected by selenium deficiency, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Researchers at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), working with the University ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 22, 2026
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