‘Forever chemicals’ widely dispersed in Swiss soil

Long-lasting pollutants are widespread in Swiss soil, a study shows. Sites associated with the use of fire-fighting foams or the spreading of sewage sludge show significantly higher contamination. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Researchers from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and the Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich, commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment, have assessed 1,070 soil samples taken from 15 cantons, the ZHAW reported on Tuesday. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected in over 99% of the samples. The median pollutant content of 2.4 micrograms per kilogram of dry matter exceeds previous estimates, as the report deliberately includes sites suspected of pollution. According to the researchers, this gives a more complete picture of the situation on the ground. PFAS are a group of several thousand synthetic chemicals. Mountain pastures above 1,000 metres are the least contaminated.