Question

Paddy fields require a large amount of water. The pesticides and chemical fertilizers used are washed down into the soil or waterbodies. How do these chemicals reach our bodies? What is this phenomenon known as?

Answer 1

Chemical fertilizers and pesticides enter water bodies and soil through runoff. These chemicals are absorbed by plants or aquatic organisms. When humans consume these plants or animals, the chemicals enter our bodies through the food chain. Their concentration increases at higher trophic levels. The name of the phenomenon is biomagnification.