Question

Oxymyl, an poisonous pesticide used to kill insects, is water soluble and degrades within days or weeks in soil and water. Do you expect this chemical to accumulate at higher trophic levels that includes predatory birds?

Answer 1

Biomagnification refers to the accumulation of toxic chemicals in organisms belonging to the higher trophic levels.
Generally, persistent organic chemicals exhibit biomagnification.
Ex: DDT

It is given that Oxymyl is a pesticide used to kill insects. It is efficient against nematode pathogens. However, it is banned in the US due to its adverse effects. It does not exhibit bioaccumulation as it is unstable in polar environments. If the chemical is not stable in soil and water, it does not accumulate in higher organisms. This is due to the fact that all organisms are aqueous systems.