Limited and somewhat worthless, Romanian LEU, are among the dirtiest banknotes in the world. At least this shows a study by a university from the Netherlands.

Researchers have shown that the plastic from which the Romanian banknotes are made favors bacteria and helps the transmission of viruses and bacteria more than happens in the case of the euro, the dollar, and even the Indian rupee.

The study, considered by the scientific community – funny, reminds us of one important thing: to wash our hands, whenever we touch money.

Passed from hand to hand, counted with fingers moistened in the mouth’s saliva, left on counters, money is among the most filthy objects.

Researchers at Radboud University in the Netherlands have shown even more. In a study, they treated euro, US and Canadian dollars, Croatian kuna, Romanian lei, Moroccan dirhams and Indian rupees with a solution containing three bacteria resistant to drug treatment.

The banknotes were well dried, then the biologists checked to see if the microorganisms resisted. Surprise: in the case of Romanian money, all three bacteria were present on banknotes after 3 and 6 hours after the solution dried off. Moreover, Romanian LEU was the only one to exhibit enterococcal cultures the day after drying.

The researchers say that the differences found are not related to the environmental conditions or the level of hygiene of the people because during the experiment all the banknotes were treated in the same way. Therefore, the explanation would be the material from which they are made.

We go to buy a donut which we then eat on the street, it is already the chain closed; you do not need more than to eat with the same hand you touch the money. Most viruses that cause diarrheal diseases are transmitted through dirty hands, but can also cause angina, pneumonia, various ENT diseases that are transmitted through dirty hands.

In many countries, banknotes are made of cotton fibers, combined with linen or other textile materials and treated with substances that give them resistance. Romania has plastic money, more durable and easier to secure. However, this choice could contribute to the spread of diseases in the community. The only solution is, for the moment, the thorough hand washing.

The study of the Dutch team was ironized by the international scientific community and even received an award that parodies the famous Nobel distinctions. The ceremony, however, took place at Harvard University, and scholars point out that some research that seems cumbersome may lead to important discoveries.