Given below are two statements:

Statement I: Pesticides such as DDT are particularly disruptive to food chains.

Statement II: Pesticides are very persistent and soluble in water.

In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Correct option is C

· Statement I is correct: Pesticides like DDT are persistent organic pollutants that accumulate in the food chain, affecting higher-level organisms, particularly birds and predators. This can lead to biomagnification, where the concentration of the pesticide increases at higher trophic levels, causing harm to the ecosystem.
· Statement II is incorrect: Pesticides like DDT are persistent, meaning they degrade very slowly in the environment, but they are not highly soluble in water. They tend to accumulate in fatty tissues of organisms rather than dissolve in water.
Information Booster:
1. DDT and biomagnification: DDT builds up in the food chain, leading to negative effects on wildlife, particularly top predators.
2. Persistent pollutants: Chemicals like DDT are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) because they remain in the environment for long periods.
3. Solubility in water: Pesticides like DDT are hydrophobic and do not dissolve easily in water, accumulating in fats instead.
4. Environmental impact: Pesticides disrupt ecosystems by affecting non-target species and contributing to biodiversity loss.