Scientists in Switzerland were surprised to find gold in a sewage treatment plant, according to an Oct. 11 report, with the study reporting that about 95 pounds (about 86.2 pounds) of gold is flushed into the sewage system each year in Switzerland, which amounts to more than $2 million (about 13.18 million yuan) at the current local price.
Some researchers believe that most of these tiny gold particles are discharged from the country's famous watch factories and gold smelters into the wastewater system.
In this regard, the Swiss Environmental Protection Agency launched an investigation at 64 wastewater treatment plants across the country, and the results showed that the proportion of gold in some wastewater was indeed higher than in wastewater plants in other areas. Not only that, but scientists also found some other unexpected elements in the wastewater, including large amounts of silver and even some rare-earth minerals, which are often used in the manufacture of electronic equipment. Researchers estimate that more than 6,500 pounds (about 5,896 pounds) of silver flows into Switzerland's sewage system every year, which is worth a total of more than $1.8 million (about 11.86 million yuan) at today's prices.
In fact, in addition to gold and silver being found in Swiss sewage, there are plenty of valuable items and money that get flushed down the toilet by some people, as two Spanish women rudely flushed 100,000 euros (about 780,000 yuan) down the toilet in Geneva this past September.
Truth be told, the amount of valuable stuff flushed down the toilet every year should be off the charts.