bioaccumulation 1. The accumulation of pollutants in living organisms by direct adsorption or through food chains. 2. Accumulation by an organism of materials that are not an essential component or nutrient of that organism. Usually it refers to the accumulation of metals, but it can apply to bioaccumulation of persistent synthetic substances such as organochlorine compounds. Many organisms, such as plants, fungi and bacteria, will accumulate metals when grown in solutions containing them. The process can be employed usefully as a purification process to remove toxic heavy metals from waste water and contaminated land(1. 通过直接吸收或者通过食物链，生物体内污染物的积累。 2. 不是生物体的基本组成或者营养物质的那样一些物质在生物体的积累。通常它指金属元素的积累，但是它适用于如有机氯化合物这样的持续合成物质的生物积累。许多生物，如植物，真菌和细菌，在含有金属元素的溶液中生长，就会积累金属元素。这一过程可用作为有效净化过程，从废水和污染土地中去除有毒重金属。)
