The pesticide that damaged the eggs of the American bald eagle is Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT). DDT was widely used in agriculture during the mid-20th century.
Effects on Bald Eagles
- Eggshell thinning: DDT made eagle eggs more fragile and prone to breakage during incubation.
- Reduced reproduction: DDT accumulation affected reproductive hormones, decreasing egg production and hatching rates.
- Biomagnification: As a persistent organic pollutant, DDT concentrated at higher food chain levels, affecting apex predators like bald eagles.
- Population decline: These reproductive impacts caused a significant population decline, leading to endangered status in the United States.
DDT was banned or severely restricted in many countries in the 1970s, and bald eagle populations have since rebounded.