Switzerland has some somewhat valuable sewer arrangement . As Bloombergreports , scientist have find around $ 1.8 million Charles Frederick Worth of Au in the land ’s sewer water , along with $ 1.7 million worth of atomic number 47 .
scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology prove sewage sludge and effluents , or set down liquid waste , from 64 water treatment works and major Swiss rivers . They did this to assess the absorption of various trace elements , which are " increasingly widely used in the high - technical school and aesculapian sectors , " the scientist explain in apress statement . " While the ultimate fate of the various elements has been little canvas to date , a orotund proportion is fuck to enter wastewater . "
The written report , which wasrecently publishedonline in the journalEnvironmental Science & Technology , revealed that around 94 pounds of gold makes its manner through Switzerland ’s sewage system each year , along with 6600 pounds of Ag and high concentrations of rarefied alloy like gadolinium and niobium . For the most part , these metals do n’t harm the environment , investigator say .
With gold and silver medal quite literally flow through their sewer , is there any way that Switzerland could turn their effluent into wealth ? Scientists are doubting : " The recovery of metallic element from wastewater or sludge is just worthwhile at present , either financially or in terms of the amounts which could be pull , " the release explain .
However , in the southern canton of Ticino , which is house to several gold refinery , the " concentration of gold in sewerage sludge are sufficiently eminent for recovery to be potentially worthwhile , " they conclude .
Switzerland is famous for its chocolate , watches , and sight , but it ’s alsohome to major atomic number 79 refineries . On mean , around 70 per centum of the earthly concern ’s gold passes through Switzerland every twelvemonth — and judging from the looks of it , much of it goes down the drainage . As for the sewer Ag , it ’s a spin-off of the chemical substance and pharmaceutical industry , which isa cornerstoneof Switzerland ’s economy .
[ h / tBloomberg ]
