As you alredy might know DDT is a very common toxin that enters the food chain. However DDT is not the only toxin that
enters a food chain and acuumilates in the consumers. Another dangerous toxin that enters the food is mercury. Compounds of
Mercury can be highly toxic at very low ocean levels. At very low ocean levels bacteria convert Mercury to an even more
toxic called methylmercury. This can be absorbed by small plants and animals and like DDT it can be accumilated and the concentration
of mercury increase as you move up a food chain. Northern Canadians are more at risk of if they eat traditional food such
as fish because of the high methylmercuryl levels because as there is very little percipitation for mercury to percipitate.
So the methylmercury stays in the Ocean while fish and plants absorb it.
Harmful Effects of methylmercury |
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