Preparation and performance features of wristband samplers and considerations for chemical exposure assessment

TLDR

Wristbands are increasingly used for personal chemical exposure assessment, yet guidelines for their preparation, chemical suitability, and transport or storage are lacking. The study aimed to evaluate wristbands’ ability to capture 148 diverse chemicals and to estimate wristband–air partitioning coefficients for PAHs through a paired wristband/active sampler comparison. Researchers tested wristbands with chemicals spanning log octanol–air partition coefficients from 2.1 to 13.7, assessing capture efficiency and partitioning in a human participant study. All chemicals were recovered with an average 102 % recovery (SD ≤ 21 %), SVOCs remained stable for up to one month at +30 °C, VOCs unchanged for seven days, and long‑term storage at –20 °C preserved levels for up to six months, indicating wristbands can reliably integrate into exposure science and epidemiological studies.

Abstract

Wristbands are increasingly used for assessing personal chemical exposures. Unlike some exposure assessment tools, guidelines for wristbands, such as preparation, applicable chemicals, and transport and storage logistics, are lacking. We tested the wristband's capacity to capture and retain 148 chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, flame retardants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). The chemicals span a wide range of physical–chemical properties, with log octanol–air partitioning coefficients from 2.1 to 13.7. All chemicals were quantitatively and precisely recovered from initial exposures, averaging 102% recovery with relative SD ≤21%. In simulated transport conditions at +30 °C, SVOCs were stable up to 1 month (average: 104%) and VOC levels were unchanged (average: 99%) for 7 days. During long-term storage at −20 °C up to 3 (VOCs) or 6 months (SVOCs), all chemical levels were stable from chemical degradation or diffusional losses, averaging 110%. Applying a paired wristband/active sampler study with human participants, the first estimates of wristband–air partitioning coefficients for PAHs are presented to aid in environmental air concentration estimates. Extrapolation of these stability results to other chemicals within the same physical–chemical parameters is expected to yield similar results. As we better define wristband characteristics, wristbands can be better integrated in exposure science and epidemiological studies.