|Question 11Verbal

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Some herbicides contain copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs), which can leach into waterways and soils via wastewater. In a 2012 study, Chengfang Pang and colleagues found that CuO-NPs can accumulate in the bodies of New Zealand mud snails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum). While bioaccumulation of manufactured nanoparticles may be inherently worrisome, it has been hypothesized that CuO-NP bioaccumulation in invertebrates like P. antipodarum could serve a valuable proxy role, obviating the need for manufacturers to conduct costly and intrusive sampling of vertebrate species—such as African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis), commonly used in regulatory compliance testing for nanoparticle bioaccumulation, as environmental protection laws currently require.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the hypothesis presented in the text?
Compared with X. laevis, P. antipodarum can tolerate significantly higher CuO-NP concentrations without displaying any negative effects.
A
It is easier to detect low and harmless concentrations of CuO-NPs in P. antipodarum than it is to detect high and harmful concentrations of CuO-NPs in X. laevis.
B
CuO-NP concentrations in P. antipodarum tend to vary more from individual to individual than do CuO-NP concentrations in X. laevis when the species are exposed to similar levels of CuO-NPs.
C
In comparable environments, P. antipodarum and X. laevis display comparable rates of CuO-NP uptake.
D