How drugs leach out of your sweat (and can spoil your sofa)

Furniture companies are warning that medications seeping out of your sweat can damage leather sofas. According to The Conversation, a pharmaceutical chemist explains: when you take any drug, your body distributes it throughout different tissues, and while most exits through urine, some is excreted via sweat and skin oils. How much ends up in your sweat depends on the drug's chemical properties—whether it's water-soluble or fat-soluble, its molecular size, and its acidity. Research has identified caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, ketamine, and chemotherapy drugs in volunteers' sweat samples. But here's the catch: the amount is vanishingly small—nanograms per millilitre—far too low to pose any health risk. The concern is purely cosmetic: potential staining or discoloration of the leather, based on anecdotal reports from repairers rather than formal research. If you're worried, the practical fix is straightforward: protect your sofa with a blanket or towel when you're particularly sweaty.

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