Dust contamination was a condition afflicted upon droids when their joints were encrusted with dust or sand, severely impairing their ability to move. The issue could be resolved by submerging the affected droid in an oil bath.
The protocol droid C-3PO was afflicted with dust contamination while traveling through the desert planet Tatooine's Jundland Wastes.
Dust contamination first appeared in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition