Swiss wastewater treatment plants contain 95 pounds of gold worth $1.8 million each year, with tiny specks coming from watchmaking and gold refineries. Researchers also found 6,500 pounds of silver and rare-earth minerals linked to electronic device manufacturing. Extraction is only feasible in areas with high concentrations of refineries.
About 70 percent of the world’s gold is processed in Swiss refineries each year, and new research indicates that some of the precious metal ends up in the country’s 64 wastewater treatment plants. After taking widespread wastewater samples, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology determined that about 95 pounds (43 kg) of gold — worth about $1.8 million dollars — is dumped each year. Tiny specks of discarded gold are believed to come from the country’s many watchmaking businesses and gold refineries.
Washing with precious metals:
Scientists say it would be too expensive to extract gold from sewage sludge, except in areas like southern Ticino, where there is a high concentration of gold refineries.
The researchers also found more than 6,500 pounds (2,948 kg) of silver and rare-earth minerals in Swiss sewers, linked to the manufacturing of electronic devices.
The research results were published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
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