Fat-soluble chemicals can accumulate in body tissues.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only in water
• D. They are excreted immediately

Answer: (A)

Fat-soluble chemicals are lipophilic, so after absorption they preferentially partition into fats and other lipid-rich tissues rather than staying dissolved in water. Because the body eliminates these substances slowly—excretion tends to be limited and often occurs via bile or gradual metabolic processing—their concentrations can build up in adipose tissue and organs with high lipid content over time. This persistence leads to longer biological half-lives and potential for chronic effects, even if exposure is intermittent. Since water-soluble compounds are cleared more readily by the kidneys, the idea that fat-soluble chemicals are excreted immediately is inaccurate. So the statement that fat-soluble chemicals can accumulate in body tissues best captures their behavior.