There are silicone bracelets that measure air quality

Researchers from the University of Texas School of Public Health introduced silicone

bracelets that can be used forobtaining quantitative data on air quality. They found that the bracelets could bind smaller molecular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of chemicals found in coal, crude oil and gasoline and formed when coal, oil, gas, wood, garbage and tobacco are burned.

Research published in the journal Nature inprimarily concerned the use of the device by pregnant women in Hidalgo County, South Texas. This area of ​​Texas was chosen because of the increased prevalence of asthma in children and the rate of prematurity compared to the rest of the state.

When researchers analyzed and compareddata obtained with air sampling equipment and wristbands, they found that the wristbands gave results similar to more traditional testing methods. The researchers speculate that the use of silicone bracelets could be useful in research on semi-volatile PAHs.

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“The use of bracelets is attractive becauseThey are inexpensive and easy to carry, ”said study co-author Itza Mendoza-Sánchez, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health (EOH). “Wristbands have been used to detect a number of contaminants, but qualifying these contaminants remains a challenge. Our goal was to assess the extent to which we can use the bracelets as passive samplers to quantify PAHs in the air. ”

The researchers added that PAHs affect somecategories of the population are much larger than others. They noted that the effects of these elements during pregnancy are especially harmful. Thus, simple methods to quantify the exposure to PAHs are essential to assess risk and develop effective intervention strategies for clinicians.

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