# Gold can be oxidized, after all!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-can-be-oxidized-after-all/834658>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 28, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-can-be-oxidized-after-all/834658 "2019-05-28T17:17:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-can-be-oxidized-after-all/834658/1 "2019-05-28T17:17:50Z")

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“Gold doesn’t oxidize!” - Well, when you just leave it expose to the air, it doesn’t, indeed…

…however, a recently discovered fungus happens to happily oxidize gold.

And, where is that fungus from? Why, Australia, of all places!

Damnit, Australia… Wasn’t it enough to be a vortex of poisonous and murderous creatures, from exploding trees up to most of the most poisonous snakes in the world, not to mention drop-bears, that you now have to go and start tarnishing gold itself…?

[Check the report here.](https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/fungus-found-in-australian-soil-can-oxidize-gold-65933)

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-can-be-oxidized-after-all/834658/2 "2019-05-28T17:36:55Z")

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I thought it could be oxidized under laboratory conditions (pressure etc) and that, in fact, compounds had been made out of every element except helium.

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-can-be-oxidized-after-all/834658/3 "2019-05-28T17:45:11Z")

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Helium compounds: [Helium compounds - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium_compounds)