Switzerland has shelved plans for a national study on the health effects of chemical pollutants, reported RTS. The scheme, intended to track the impact of pesticides, heavy metals and “forever chemicals” such as PFAS on 100,000 volunteers over two decades, would have cost as much as CHF 240 million. The Federal Council cited budget constraints in scrapping it, according to a reply to parliament revealed by Swiss broadcaster SRF.
Officials had explored co-financing with outside partners, the Federal Office of Public Health said, but legal hurdles blocked the effort. The decision follows a pilot study, which found traces of PFAS in every one of 800 blood and urine samples taken in Vaud and Bern—an unsettling result for scientists hoping to link pollutants with disease trends.
Researchers call the cancellation a wasted opportunity. Carlo Largiadèr, one of the project’s leaders, lamented that new, poorly studied substances are constantly entering the market without systematic monitoring. Green politicians plan to fight in parliament to revive the project or secure alternative funding. For now, however, Switzerland will remain in the dark about the long-term effects of the chemicals contaminating its citizens’ bodies.
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RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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