Silicone wristbands compared with traditional polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure assessment methods

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health Sciences
• Exposure Science
• Biomonitoring

Background:

• Assessing human exposure to environmental chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) lacks inexpensive, user-friendly technologies.
• Traditional methods such as active air monitoring and urine sampling are resource-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of silicone wristbands as a novel, accessible tool for measuring personal exposure to semivolatile PAHs.
• To compare PAH levels detected by wristbands with traditional methods (air samplers and urine biomarkers) in pregnant women.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous deployment of silicone wristbands, polyurethane foam (PUF) and filter air samplers for 48 hours on 22 pregnant women.
• Collection of spot urine samples at the end of the sampling period for hydroxy-PAH (OH-PAH) biomarker analysis.
• Analysis of PAHs in wristbands and air samplers, and OH-PAHs in urine, with statistical correlation analysis.

Main Results:

• Silicone wristbands detected a wide range of PAHs (51 out of 62 tested) with frequencies comparable to PUF-filters.
• Six significant correlations were found between PAHs detected on wristbands and urinary OH-PAHs.
• Only two significant correlations were observed between PAHs from PUF-filters and urinary OH-PAHs, indicating wristbands' superior biological relevance.

Conclusions:

• Silicone wristbands are a viable, biologically relevant tool for assessing human exposure to PAHs in non-occupational settings.
• Wristbands offer a promising, easily integrated method for environmental health studies, complementing traditional exposure assessment techniques.