What general relationship dictates mercury accumulation in fish according to size and lifespan?
Answer
Mercury accumulation is generally proportional to the fish's size and lifespan
The process of mercury contamination in seafood follows a principle known as biomagnification up the marine food chain. This means that larger fish, which typically have longer lifespans, consume smaller fish that have already accumulated mercury over time. Consequently, the concentration of mercury increases, or biomagnifies, as one moves up the trophic levels. This explains why larger, predatory species such as Swordfish and Shark generally harbor higher levels of mercury contamination compared to smaller species situated lower on the food chain.
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