Nearly half of bald eagles tested across US show signs of chronic lead exposure

Harmful levels of toxic lead were found in bones of 46% of bald eagles sampled in 38 states from California to Florida, study finds

America's national bird is more beleaguered than previously believed, with nearly half of bald eagles tested across the US showing signs of chronic lead exposure, according to a study published Thursday.

While the bald eagle population has rebounded from the brink of extinction since the US banned the pesticide DDT in 1972, harmful levels of toxic lead were found in the bones of 46% of bald eagles sampled in 38 states from California to Florida, researchers reported in the journal Science.