During my masters thesis I worked in the lab of an electrochemist studying the adsorption of thiol(ate)s on precious metal surfaces. Organosulphur compounds hav

During my masters thesis I worked in the lab of an electrochemist studying the adsorption of thiol(ate)s on precious metal surfaces. Organosulphur compounds have an incredible affinity for soft metal surfaces. His parents lived over in Calgary, Alberta, and he recounted to me several times how it was impossible to keep silver clean there due to the the occasional outgassing of oil wells north of the city. It was little enough that nobody's life was at risk, but high enough that true silverware would reliably be tarnished within a month or two.