Why You Shouldn't Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Easily the most abundant species they found is one that causes acne. Others were linked to gastric ulcers, pneumonia, food poisoning and staph infections, the scientists said. Some carried genes responsible for antibiotic resistance. "It was quite amazing to us," said Jane Carlton, director of genome sequencing at NYU's Center for Genomics and Systems Biology where the university-funded work was performed. "We actually found that microbes grow on money." to read more: online.wsj.com

Dirty Dollars

In the first genome study of the DNA on money, NYU researchers identified 3,000 types of bacteria on a set of one-dollar bills collected in New York.

• Total DNA found: 1.2 billion segments
• Percentage human: 27%-48%
• Bacterial DNA: 54 million segmentsSampler of bacteria identified:
• Acinetobacter species:antibiotic-resistant infections
• Staphylococcus aureus: skin infections
• Bacillus cereus: food-borne illness
• Escherichia coli: food poisoning
• Helicobacter pylori: gastric ulcers
• Corynebacterium diphtheriae: diphtheria
• Material: Cotton-linen blend.
• Lifetime: 21 months
• Weight: 1 gram. Since there are 454 grams in one pound, there are 454 dollar notes in one pound.
• Bulk: 1 million dollar bills stacked in a square would measure about four feet tall, four feet wide and four feet thick.
• Wear and tear: About 4,000 double folds (forward and backward) are required before a dollar note will tear.
• Annual replacement: About 45 % of the notes printed each year are $1; 95% are used as replacement notes.

-- Sources: New York University, US Federal Reserve System.