If you thought dirty money was only found in offshore bank accounts, check your wallet instead. But you may want to wash your hands afterward.
Almost 60% of Europeans believe cash is the dirtiest item they come into contact with, ahead of escalator handrails, b*ttons on payment terminals and library books, according to a survey of 1,000 people released on March 25 by Mastercard.
A further 83% of the respondents, taken from 15 countries across Europe, believe cash carries a lot of bacteria. And they are right.
Independent tests on European money conducted by a team of scientists at Oxford University in December 2012, revealed that the average banknote contains 26,000 bacteria, enough germs to make you feel nauseous, and possibly even spread disease.
