Most were chosen for genuine technical qualities: asbestos resisted fire, lead protected metals and coloured paints, PCBs kept joints flexible, tars sealed out water, brominated flame retardants protected insulation. Their health effects were established, or acknowledged, long after they had spread through construction. Radon, by contrast, was never used: this natural gas rises from the ground and builds up in poorly ventilated rooms.

They remain in buildings built or renovated before they were banned. Left intact, most pose no immediate danger; drilling, sanding, demolition or renovation is what releases them. That is why they are surveyed before works begin.

Each dossier traces:

where the substance came from and how it was used in construction
the discovery of its health effects — and what industry knew
its ban and the current situation in Switzerland
what it means for your building works today

Every dossier cites its sources: archives, scientific studies and official texts.

5,000+

years of lead use

200,000+

asbestos deaths per year

98%

of humans have PFAS in their blood

1775

first occupational cancer identified (PAHs)

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