Radiation risk in 60 houses - because the authorities failed (Swiss Press Text 2015, by Dominik Balmer) - Swiss Press Award

SonntagsZeitung

Dominik Balmer

This article is a follow-up to the first part (Experts estimate radiation levels "very high" // They were buried in the grounds of radioactive waste). Previously unknown historical documents show that the authorities failed to test former watchmaking workshops for radioactivity. Nearly 100 properties are affected, primarily in the city of Biel. The cities of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel, as well as the Solothurn region, are also affected. The problem: In these properties, highly radioactive luminous paints were used as home-based work until the 1960s. Residues of the fine-grained paint powder can still endanger residents today (radium has a half-life of 1,600 years). As a result of our research, the authorities have promised to conduct radioactivity measurements.