Bioaccumulation

The chemical munition compounds (MC) that leak from munition shells also pose a risk to marine organisms near dumping areas. TNT and its degradation products have been found in a wide range of aquatic organisms near munition dumpsites and shipwrecks, from algae and benthic infauna to mussels and fish. Biological concentration, accumulation and magnification of MC in marine biota has thus been shown in numerous cases. It is less well known how long MC persist in biological tissues, and how rapidly MC may be excreted.