Bioaccumulative

Alternative forms

• bio-accumulative, {{3}}

Origin

- + bio + accumulative

Full definition of bioaccumulative

Adjective

1. (of a substance) That tends to accumulate in an organism when the organism's ability to remove it is insufficient.
• 2007, Elizabeth Grossman, High Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxics, and Human Health, Island Press (), page 284:Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) received a flurry of attention around 2000, when studies of its effects on animal and human health showed that it was bioaccumulative (meaning that it accumulates in body tissue, especially in fat where it can linger for years), persistent, and toxic to mammals.

Related terms

• bioaccumulation