Four pesticides were tested. Data: half-life in soil and log of octanol-water partition coefficient (a high value means strongly fat soluble). A: 4 days, 1.5; B: 3000 days, 6.2; C: 20 days, 5.8; D: 2500 days, 1.2. Which is most likely to biomagnify in a food chain?

Answer: B

Biomagnification needs both persistence (long half-life) and fat solubility (high partition coefficient). Only B has both. D persists but stays in water, and A and C are degraded quickly.

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