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Talk about dirty money -- a new study says that 90 percent of U.S. bills, carry trace amounts of cocaine.
There is a saying that money is the root of all evil. Now you can add an illegal drug, and other possible viruses to that.
"Technically it's a very good place for powder," said virologist Roland Wolkowicz of San Diego State University.
And we're not talking baby powder either. Though it may be on the bills as well. But parents should've taught most of us that money is dirty, but drug laced ? Researcher Yuegang Zuo of the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth said at a conference of the American Chemical Society that 90 % of bills had trace amounts of cocaine. Most notably, higher bills from $5-$50 were more likely to have the illegal substance. The findings were not surprising to Wolkowicz.
"There's no doubt in my mind that this is real fact, and that money or currency will be contaminated or anything else," he said.
He said the dollar bills contain millions of fibers, and the bills consist of about 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen. Wolkowicz said the consistency makes other viruses to remain sustainable.
"Money or currency will move from hand to hand will have mucosa from people sneezing on money, and then the virus that stays on this mucosa, will stay for many more hours," he said.
The study also compared bills from other countries like China or Canada. Zuo's study found that Canada had about 85 percent cocaine in it's sample study of bills, while China had about 20 percent. It also found out that bigger cities like Baltimore, Detroit, and Boston had the highest average cocaine levels. The study also concluded that the amount of cocaine in bills won't be enough to cause health concerns.
There is a saying that money is the root of all evil. Now you can add an illegal drug, and other possible viruses to that.
"Technically it's a very good place for powder," said virologist Roland Wolkowicz of San Diego State University.
And we're not talking baby powder either. Though it may be on the bills as well. But parents should've taught most of us that money is dirty, but drug laced ? Researcher Yuegang Zuo of the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth said at a conference of the American Chemical Society that 90 % of bills had trace amounts of cocaine. Most notably, higher bills from $5-$50 were more likely to have the illegal substance. The findings were not surprising to Wolkowicz.
"There's no doubt in my mind that this is real fact, and that money or currency will be contaminated or anything else," he said.
He said the dollar bills contain millions of fibers, and the bills consist of about 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen. Wolkowicz said the consistency makes other viruses to remain sustainable.
"Money or currency will move from hand to hand will have mucosa from people sneezing on money, and then the virus that stays on this mucosa, will stay for many more hours," he said.
The study also compared bills from other countries like China or Canada. Zuo's study found that Canada had about 85 percent cocaine in it's sample study of bills, while China had about 20 percent. It also found out that bigger cities like Baltimore, Detroit, and Boston had the highest average cocaine levels. The study also concluded that the amount of cocaine in bills won't be enough to cause health concerns.
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