Swiss Scientists Propose "Underwear Index" for Soil Health
About 1,000 volunteers buried more than 2,000 pairs of cotton underwear, and private gardens showed the fastest breakdown, researchers said.
- Five years ago, 1,000 volunteers buried more than 2,000 pairs of cotton underwear across Switzerland to measure soil biological activity. The experiment revealed how land management shapes the hidden communities beneath our feet.
- The 'Proof by Underpants' project, published in Plants, People, Planet, aimed to raise awareness about soil ecosystems while generating comprehensive data on biological activity across the nation.
- Private gardens showed the fastest decomposition, with 58 percent of the cotton disappearing in two months, while lawns exhibited the lowest biological activity, averaging only 40 percent decomposition.
- Co-Project leader Franz Bender, head of the agroecological assessments team at Agroscope, notes the 'underwear index' can determine soil health, but warns "maximum decomposition is not desirable in every ecosystem."
- Scientists emphasize that soils are rapidly degrading, threatening food production and biodiversity, making this playful outreach tool vital for raising public awareness about protecting underground communities.
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Assessing soil health with underpants
We watched as the two young boys stuck their shovels in the ground and painstakingly dug up the remains of the underpants. Most of the organic cotton fabric had decomposed in the 2 months that the underpants had been buried. “The worms, insects, and bacteria ate most of our underpants!” they exclaimed. “We have good soil!”
Why did scientists ask 1,000 Swiss people to bury their underwear? What the buried 'underpants' could reveal about soil - The unusual science of measuring soil health
The decomposition of cotton underwear has unveiled notable differences in soil biological activity throughout Switzerland. Private gardens displayed the most rapid decomposition rates, highlighting the presence of abundant organic matter and active microorganisms. Conversely, lawns showed minimal organism activity, with agricultural fields and meadows falling in a moderate range. This study emphasizes how land use significantly affects underwear…
Did you know your underwear can tell you about soil health? Not kidding, Swiss scientists buried 2,000 pairs — here’s what they found
ZURICH, Aug 31 — When 1,000 Swiss volunteers buried more than 2,000 pairs of cotton underwear across the country, they were not simply giving their old briefs a second life —...
Scientists Buried 2,000 Pairs of Underwear to Test the Health of Soil. Here's What They Learned.
What’s the best way to test the quality and vitality of the soil we depend on to grow crops, grow the trees we need to filter impurities from the air and provide us with oxygen? Of course, it’s to get a bunch of people to bury their underwear in the dirt for two months. That’s […] The post Scientists Buried 2,000 Pairs of Underwear to Test the Health of Soil. Here’s What They Learned. appeared first on VICE.
EADaily, August 31, 2026, a thousand people buried their underwear in Switzerland for science, reported by DW**.
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