Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence confirms lead as cause of Beethoven's illness

At the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne, USA, massive amounts of lead have been detected in bone fragments of 19th Century composer Ludwig von Beethoven (1770-1827), indicating the cause of his years of chronic illness. The bone fragments, checked by DNA testing to have come from Beethoven's body, were analyzed by micro X-ray florescence. The findings confirm earlier work done on hair samples. Furthermore, neither cadmium nor mercury was found within detectable levels this time. The half life of lead in the human body is about 22 years, and almost 95 percent is captured in the skeletal structure. For more information, contact Catherine Foster, Phone: +1-630-252-5580, cfoster@anl.gov, http://www.anl.gov