Artificial snow in Swiss resorts could be dangerous

Health concerns have been raised over a product which boosts artificial snow production and is used at a number of ski resorts in Switzerland.

Skiing in Switzerland. Image by Nils Rinaldi / CC BY 2.0

Snowmax makes water freeze faster and at lower temperatures and is used in a number of Swiss resorts including  Zermatt and Crans-Montana in Valais and Davos and Arosa in Graubünden. It is claimed that the product is made with a bacteria which is hazardous to human health and is banned in Bavaria and Austria. Snowmax’s website says a “chemical investigation shows that the product contains no harmful substances”. Read more: thelocal.ch