predatory fish methylmercury food chain body burden

Predatory fish can carry much more mercury than their prey

10× the prey fish’s body burden

Fish take in methylmercury faster than they can remove it. Larger fish then eat many smaller contaminated fish, causing mercury to build up through the food chain. A predator can carry about ten times as much as the fish it eats.

Buddhist teachings were written down partly because monks feared losing them

For centuries, Buddhist teachings were preserved through memorization and recitation. According to Theravāda tradition, famine and conflict in ancient Sri Lanka threatened the communities responsible for transmitting them. Monks therefore committed the teachings to writing, helping preserve material that had previously depended on living chains of memory.

Jerusalem’s defenders reportedly destroyed their own food during a siege

During the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE, rival factions inside the city fought one another. According to the ancient historian Josephus, they destroyed stores of grain that could have sustained the population. Internal conflict worsened the famine just as Roman forces tightened their blockade.

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predatory fish methylmercury food chain body burden

Predatory fish can carry much more mercury than their prey

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