A waterborne pollutant can have different effects on aquatic life depending on the nature of the pollutant. A pollutant at lower levels can have minimal or no effect on aquatic life. However, when the concentrations of the pollutant are high, the population of aquatic organisms can be greatly reduced. There are also times when pollutants at lower concentrations cause significant damage. An organism can consume another organism that has absorbed small amounts of the pollutant. As the consumer takes in more of the contaminated organism, the pollutant is magnified in the body of the consumer resulting in lethal concentrations. This is called biomagnification.
