01.09.2026 08:50
In Switzerland, scientists buried over 2,000 cotton underpants in the soil nationwide for two months to measure the soil's biological activity. Some underwear was almost completely decomposed, while others remained largely intact. The study found that biological activity was particularly low in cultivated agricultural land and monoculture lawns, and the results revealed the impact of land use on the soil ecosystem.
Scientists seeking to draw attention to soil pollution and biodiversity loss have undertaken an extraordinary study by burying 2,000 cotton underpants in soil across Switzerland. The results of the project, led by the University of Zurich, revealed that the way land is used directly affects the underground ecosystem and that the quality of topsoil, which is the foundation of the global food chain, is rapidly declining.
DEGRADATION LEVEL OF FABRICS
In the project, carried out with the support of more than a thousand volunteers, over 2,000 cotton underpants and thousands of tea bags were placed in many different locations, from gardens to fields. After a two-month waiting period, the degradation rates of the items removed from the soil were examined. It was observed that some of the removed garments remained as intact as on the first day, while others had almost completely disintegrated, leaving only the seams. This difference proved the vast gap between underground life and biological activity levels.
LOW VITALITY IN AGRICULTURAL LANDS, FERTILIZER RISK IN GARDENS
According to the research results, the state of the underground ecosystem varies greatly depending on the purpose of land use:
- Monoculture lawns surrounding buildings and cultivated agricultural lands were recorded as the areas with the lowest signs of life and the weakest biological activity.
- More than half of the fabrics buried in privately maintained gardens disappeared in a short time. This confirmed that decomposing organisms such as worms, bacteria, and fungi are working intensely and actively.
- Scientists emphasized that this rapid disintegration in gardens does not always indicate a healthy soil structure; it could also be the result of an artificial nutrient load caused by unconscious and excessive fertilizer use.
GLOBAL CRISIS WARNING WITH THE "UNDERPANTS INDEX"
The rapid degradation of topsoil, which provides almost all of our food needs and is the largest carbon reservoir after oceans, poses a critical risk for the planet's future. Experts state that the "Underpants Index," used to draw attention to this silent danger beneath the soil and to raise public awareness, is a practical and striking measurement tool. The comprehensive data obtained clearly shows that global soil conservation strategies need to be reshaped and land use habits must be changed without delay.