That banknotes can contain traces of cocaine is nothing new. But student Marloes Vossepoel was still amazed by her research results: not just a few, but all of the euro notes examined were found to be contaminated with traces of cocaine.
In the United States, it has been known for some time that many dollar bills contain traces of cocaine. However, this had never been researched in the Netherlands. Third-year chemistry student Marloes seized her chance and conducted the research as part of a minor at the lectorate Technologies for Criminal Investigations, a collaboration between Saxion University of Applied Sciences in Deventer and the Police Academy.
Drug money
First, she developed and tested a method to detect traces of cocaine on banknotes. Then, for two months, she collected random 5- and 10-euro notes from regular currency circulation in Deventer and Enschede, from ATMs and supermarkets. The outcome was remarkable: all 25 notes examined contained traces of the drug.
"We expected to find traces of cocaine, but not on every banknote," says Ruud Peters, senior lecturer at Saxion and senior researcher at the lectorate. Although the sample is too small for hard conclusions, the research gives 'an indication of the scale of the problem', according to the university. There is a good chance that a banknote in your wallet also carries traces of coke.
But how come every single banknote tested was contaminated? There are several explanations for this. Many users snort cocaine using rolled-up banknotes. In addition, sorting machines at banks and other financial institutions can cause cross-contamination. And of course, the simple circulation of cash plays a role: from hand to hand – or in this case, from nose to nose.
Tiny amount of cocaine
The amounts on banknotes are usually minuscule. A 2022 US study found an average of 6,96 micrograms of cocaine per dollar bill – for comparison, a grain of sand weighs about three times as much.
Although these small amounts are invisible and harmless to health, they do show how widespread cocaine use is. Incidentally, the Saxion student did not investigate other drugs or substances on the banknotes. According to the university, a more extensive investigation, for example by De Nederlandsche Bank, could provide an even more complete picture.
Source: Ad.nl
