Rubber wristbands show pollution in water, air and food

Oregon State University scientists have created a fashion accessory that doubles as a pollution detector.

Similar in style to the popular wristbands supporting various charitable causes, OSU's new silicone bracelets have a porous surface that mimics a cell, absorbing chemicals that people are exposed to through their environment.

"The wristbands show us the broad range of chemicals we encounter but often don't know about and may be harming us," said Kim Anderson, a professor in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences. "Eventually, these bracelets may help us link possible health effects to chemicals in our environment."

In an OSU experiment, 30 volunteers wore the bracelets for a month. The bracelets soaked up nearly 50 chemical compounds, including traces of fragrances and other personal care products. They also detected flame-retardants, pesticides, caffeine, nicotine, and chemicals from pet flea medicines.

Roofers also wore the wristbands, showing exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 12 of which are on the Environmental Protection Agency's priority list. The bracelets, however, cannot detect some metals, like lead and chromium, or gases like carbon monoxide.

To extract the pollutants, the users send the bracelets to OSU where they are soaked and shaken in a mix of solvents, which pull chemical compounds into a liquid that can be tested in a lab. Researchers can screen for 1,200 chemicals that may accumulate in the wristbands.

To create the wristbands, OSU scientists modified widely available silicone bracelets — similar to the yellow "Livestrong" bands — by washing them in chemical solvents. The university can make 400 wristbands a week.

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Taxonomy

• Pollution
• Water Monitoring