'Rusters'. The corrosive action of palmar sweat: II. Physical and chemical factors in palmar hyperhidrosis

Abstract

When measuring sweating rates, close correspondence was found with the clinical estimation of hyperhidrosis. Corrosion was seen to increase with increasing sweat rates, reaching its maximum after an assumed rise in the actual sodium chloride concentration on the skin surface due to evaporation of water. The findings confirm that hyperhidrosis is of primary importance in the constitution of a 'ruster', and are also in good agreement with experimental reports. The small variations in palmar skin pH had no influence on the degree of corrosion; nor had the character of the metal surface. Of the two types of metal studied, corrosion was much more severe on the type having the lowest concentration of copper, thus confirming that increasing copper concentrations have a positive effect in reducing corrosion rates. At 50-60% relative humidity (RH) corrosion increased as time elapsed, whereas at 40% RH no corrosion developed on a sweat-contaminated plate. When exposed to 75% RH, metal samples became severely corroded in the course of a few days. Protective methods for the avoidance of rust are mentioed, with special emphasis on frequent handwashing.