Originally, wristbands were made as fashion accessories for athletes but now they have been developed into trendy wearable devices that can track chemical exposure.
Researchers from the Oregon State University have developed a silicone wristband that could track a person's exposure to chemicals. Traces of chemicals would be analyzed although the researchers could only detect the presence of chemicals but not the amount present.
Headed by Kim Anderson, an environmental chemist, the researchers provided 92 preschoolers with the colorful silicone wristbands. After a week of continuous use, the parents returned the silicone bands to the researchers.
The researchers analyzed the wristbands to find out whether the children have been exposed to harmful chemical retardants. Surprisingly, they found that the children had been exposed to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are no longer manufactured in the United States, as well as organophosphate flame retardants.
The Trendy Silicone Wearables
The lightweight trendy silicone wristbands used to track chemical exposure are a better option as compared with any bulky machine. The silicone wristbands would only be worn for a specific time - days, weeks or months - and then submitted for chemical analysis.
The silicone wristband absorbs the organic chemicals from the person's surroundings and traps them in the silicone polymer matrix, which works just like the human skin. The silicon polymers imitate the biological polymers of human cell membranes because they have a long chain-like structure with spaces similar to the size of human pores, which are about 1 nanomillimeter.
The wristband should be worn all throughout the tracking period even if the wearer needs to take a shower, sleep, swim, jog, work, or cook. It should never be taken off the wrist until submitted for analysis.
Using solvents and thermal desorption methods, the chemicals absorbed by the wristband will be extracted.
Chemical Analysis
Anderson's team developed an analytical method to identify the chemicals present in the silicone wristband, particularly the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method.
The GC/MS could screen 1,400 organic chemicals on the wristbands, which include pesticides, fragrances, bisphenol A, nonylphenol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, and polychlorinated biphenyls.
The wristbands are currently promoted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to encourage more volunteers to sign up for the test.
The team is currently working on developing quantitative methods in analyzing chemical exposure on the silicone wristbands.
The study is published online via the journal Environmental Research, May issue.
Photo: David Lofink | Flickr
