All That Glitters Is Covered In Sewage: Gold Silver Found In Swiss Waste

Each year, around three million Francs (around £2.3 million)-worth of gold and silver are being washed away in Switzerland. But before you start sieving through rivers and dirt, you might want to know all that glittering gold is mixed up in sewage and wastewater.

This news comes after the release of a study by Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, which found that Swiss wastewater treatment plants are a veritable gold mine. Alongside these riches there are also trace amounts of rare earth metals, such as gadolinium and niobium, flowing out of wastewater treatment plants.

Across the 28 Swiss cantons there is around 3000 kg of silver, 43 kg of gold, 1070 kg of gadolinium and 1500 kg of neodymium lost every year. Switzerland is well known for it’s watchmaking and jewellery industries, and it is also home to many gold refineries, so in many respects these wasted precious metals aren’t much of a surprise.

Any would-be gold prospectors shouldn’t run for their gold pans just yet, as the scientists say these quantities aren’t large enough to justify recollecting the elements.

However, there are a few exceptions. They point out that in areas where watchmaking is a prominent industry (such as the Jura) there are particularly large concentrations of gold. While they point out that “at certain sites in Ticino, concentrations of gold in sewage sludge are sufficiently high for recovery to be potentially worthwhile,” due to the presence of several gold refineries in the canton.

Across the country though, sifting through all that brown stuff isn’t considered particularly worthwhile. Which probably goes without saying.

Fortunately, the elements that are being released aren’t considered to be of “ecotoxicological concern”. But this comes with a caveat: we aren’t really sure about the effects that some “emerging trace elements” can have on the environment. So this assessment probably needs some more work.

Next time you happen upon a Swiss sewage treatment plant, you may well see a glint of gold among all that sludge. But we don’t suggest you dive in after it.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.