Once on the brink of extinction, America's bald eagle population
has come soaring back:
By 1963, with only 487 nesting pairs of bald eagles remaining, the species was in danger of extinction, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
DDT was banned soon after and the bald eagle started on its road to recovery. It was listed as endangered in the late 60s, when the Endangered List was created. By the 1990s, it had recovered to the point of being dropped from the list.
Its numbers have continued growing. There are now 69,000 across the United States.
While DDT is no longer detected in the bald eagle population, other chemicals are being found at an
alarming rate:
Michigan’s bald eagles are among the most contaminated birds on the planet when it comes to phased-out flame retardant chemicals in their livers, according to new research.
How are they being exposed to these chemicals? Because they are everywhere:
More than four decades ago, companies started putting polybrominated diphenyl ethers, PBDEs, into furniture cushions, electronics and clothing in an effort to slow the spread of flames if they catch fire.
The chemicals quickly built up in people and the environment. Starting in the early 2000s, phase-outs began. PBDEs have been found in air, dirt and people in virtually every corner of the globe, including the Great Lakes region.
So, while we celebrate the return of the bald eagle to many parts of the country where they had previously vanished, we'd do well to keep close tabs on what may be killing them. For them....and for us.