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this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2023
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Licking a rusty bar seems like it would be a good way to abrade your tongue and contract tetanus.
Tetanus is a bacteria that lives in soil. It's only associated with rust because rust gives more surface area to allow dirt to accumulate on which bacteria can survive, and because iron objects are often sharp enough to pierce the skin. If you were cut with a gleaming razer that had just had soil smeared on it you'd have a good chance of contracting tetanus!
~~It's also because the bacterium in question is anaerobic, so it dies in an oxygen environment; rusting consumes oxygen, so it helps preserve the bacterium longer out of soil.~~
Edit: I had always been told this, but evidently it isn't true. The rust does not seem to have any effect on the bacterium that causes tetanus. Apologies for spreading misinformation.
I'd be quite surprised if rusting could consume oxygen fast enough to make a difference there?
Yeah, this is a strange mix of information being conveyed. Tetanus is indeed caused by an anaerobe, and it's caused by a puncturing wound. The depth of the wound is what causes the oxygen-free environment. The correlation with iron, from my understanding, is solely because a nail can easily cause such a puncture. A nail stepped on in the general environment can easily innoculate the wound with with the relatively common Clostridium tetani bacteria, which causes tetanus. I don't think rust is a factor, though I've been wrong before.
Yeah, you're right. This is something I was taught at one point, and I guess I never questioned it because it sounded plausible. Sorry! I have updated my comment to reflect this.
Does that mean I can get tetanus by walking around barefoot outside?
If your feet get cut, sure. This is why tetanus vaccine is given as post-exposure prophylaxis in many places if you get a wound that breaks the skin.
So, I don’t know where this iron bar is coming from.