The radioactive jewellery (not pictured) was discovered by German customs officers
Keystone
A Swiss company has sold esoteric “negative-ion” jewellery containing high levels of uranium and thorium. The Federal Office of Public Health has written to people who have bought the jewellery, telling them to send it to the health office.
This content was published on
1 minute
SDA-ATS/ts
Português
pt
Alerta de recall para bijuterias radiativas na Suíça
Health office spokesman Daniel Dauwalder on Monday confirmed media reports that an unnamed company had imported rock powder from China with levels of the two radioactive substances that were harmful for skin cells and the outer skin layer.
The health office said if the bracelets, necklaces and earrings were worn for several hours a day over a year, the skin’s dose threshold of 50 millisieverts could be exceeded. In the long term, the risk of skin cancer would increase, it added.
People who had bought the jewellery did not need to take medical measures, even if they had worn the jewellery for a while, the health office said.
The radioactive rock powder was discovered by German customs guards, who informed the Federal Office of Public Health.
Dauwalder said the office had already received many items of jewellery, which would be disposed of accordingly. The jewellery must not end up in the normal rubbish, the office said.
More
More
Radioactive ex-watchmaking sites need rehab
This content was published on
On Monday, the Federal Office of Public HealthExternal link announced that of the 130 sites it had inspected so far, 27 had unsafe levels of radium, and 12 of these had been cleaned up already. The radioactive powder came from the radium-based paint used to give watch faces a neon glow up until the 1960s.…
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
One thousand Swiss buildings could be contaminated with radium
This content was published on
The study by the University of Bern, commissioned by the Federal Office of Public Health, shows that radium was used in almost 700 buildings. In addition, there are approximately 300 other buildings where the use of radium is uncertain. The findings double previous estimates of potential radium contamination in Switzerland. A third of the identified…
Swiss refiners deny sourcing illegal and conflict gold
This content was published on
The report by the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), released on Thursday to coincide with the opening of the Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Fair, says that in all likelihood, Metalor continues to procure illegally-mined Peruvian gold which is linked to tax evasion and environmental destruction. The refiner’s main supplier, the Peruvian export company Minerales del…
This content was published on
Apart from being highly valuable and almost indestructible, it transcends all differences of race and religion. It is a hedge against inflation, an investment, a safe haven, a currency, it goes into the finest jewellery and is accepted almost everywhere in the world. The Swiss National Bank keeps its stock of gold bars well guarded…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.