Did lead poisoning kill Beethoven?
The composer's high lead levels probably contributed to his many health problems but didn't kill him outright: researchers.
A fresh analysis of two locks of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair shows that although his lead levels were up to 95 times higher than normal, lead poisoning didn’t kill the composer.
The popular theory — that high lead levels were responsible for his death in his 50s — should be ruled out, researchers argue in the journal Clinical Chemistry.
