Bioaccumulation is the increase in the concentration of heavy metals or other toxic chemicals in an organismās fatty tissues and muscles over time due to the organismās inability to break down and excrete these substances quickly enough. Bioaccumulative substances possess stable molecular structures, resist degradation, are often fat-soluble, and can persist in the environment for decades. Several major environmental crises in human history can be traced to the bioaccumulation of persistent pollutants, followed by their biomagnification, wherein the concentration of the substances increases progressively at successive trophic levels in the food chain. An example is the bioaccumulation of methylmercury in the fish and shellfish of Japanās Minamata Bay, which led to the development of Minamata disease in members of the local population who consumed these animals.
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