Using Silicone Wristbands as Personal Monitors of PFAS Exposures

Despite widespread research, there is a major data gap for perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) concerning dermal and atmospheric exposures, and no commercial product is available to the public for personalized testing. Using silicone wristbands (SWBs) for PFAS is a new approach that can measure this persistent compound class for personal monitoring. SWBs can capture both routes of exposure given previous research. This project describes the initial work necessary to test silicone wristbands for PFAS exposure by optimizing extraction from silicone itself and creating models of uptake curves using a vapor generator. Neither of these objectives has been addressed in the literature to date and in fact, there is only one research study that mentions using silicone wristbands for PFAS. Additionally, this research is in line with the mission of the Biochemical and Exposure Science Group of the Chemical Sciences Division at NIST.