(Telegraph) Gold worth millions is flushed into British sewers every year
Brushing gold teeth and rubbing wedding rings as we wash our hands is contributing to an estimated £13 million worth of precious metals flushed away every year
Analysis by Thames Water found that the level of gold in sewerage systems was comparable to those found in working mines.
Hazel Prichard, a geologist from Cardiff University who has been studying precious metals in urban waste alongside Thames Water, by investigating the incinerators used to burn off sewage sludge.
“We were stunned,” she told The Times. “They were all consistently high in gold.”
It was claimed that tiny quantities of gold and precious metals are washed down the sink every time we wash our hands, rubbing wedding rings and jewellery, and every time people with gold teeth brush their teeth.