In North America, ecotoxicology studies helped determine that DDT, a particularly toxic pesticide, was closely linked to the near extinction of the Peregrine Falcon. As for the belugas in the St. Lawrence River, their bodies are so full of chemicals that when they die, their carcasses have to be treated like toxic waste. If animals at the top of the food chain are unable to resist human-induced pollution and are starting to show signs of its devastating effects, the fact is quite frightening when we think of the health of the human race.