Data from: Chemical uptake into silicone wristbands over a five-day period

This study evaluated the chemical uptake rates of 113 organic pollutants from several chemical classes (i.e., polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), organophosphate esters (OPEs), alkyl OPEs, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), brominated flame retardants (BFR), phthalates, pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) over a five-day period. Adult participants (n=10) were asked to wear five silicone wristbands and then remove one wristband each day. Several compounds were detected in all participants’ wristbands after only one day. The number of chemicals detected frequently (i.e. in at least seven participants wristbands) increased from 20 to 26% percent of target compounds after three days and increased to 34% of target compounds after four days of wear. Chemicals detected in at least seven participants’ day five wristbands (n=24 chemicals) underwent further statistical analysis, including estimating the chemical uptake rates over time. For some chemicals, concentrations on wristbands worn five days were correlated with the concentrations of wristbands worn fewer days suggesting chronic exposure to compounds such as pesticides and phthalates. For 23 of the 24 compounds evaluated there was a statistically significant and positive linear association between the length of time wristbands were worn and chemical concentrations in wristbands. Despite, the differences that exist between laboratory studies using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and worn wristbands, these results indicate that worn wristbands are primarily acting as first-order kinetic samplers. These results suggest that studies using different deployment lengths should be comparable when results are normalized to the length of the deployment period. In addition, a shorter deployment period could be utilized for compounds that were commonly detected in as little as one day.