Gold in faeces 'is worth millions and could save the environment'

Geologist suggests extracting precious metals from human waste would keep harmful substances out of the ground - and recover valuable objects

Fortunes could be saved from going down the drain by extracting gold and precious metals from human excrement, scientists suggest.

Sewage sludge contains traces of gold, silver and platinum at levels that would be seen as commercially viable by traditional prospectors. "The gold we found was at the level of a minimal mineral deposit," said Kathleen Smith, of the US Geological Survey.