Superfund Research Program

Learn more about the silicone wristbands in the team’s YouTube video. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Ward, Oregon State University)

With funding from the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) and other NIEHS programs, researchers at the Oregon State University (OSU) SRP Centerands can be used to measure exposure to low levels of hundreds of chemicals, offering a unique tool to better understand the complex mixtures people may be exposed to throughout daily life.

“The wristbands are small and lightweight, and people can wear them all day as they go about their various activities, commuting, working, cooking, exercising, and sleeping,” said project leader Kim Anderson, Ph.D. “The wristbands can answer questions about personal exposure to a range of chemicals that we hadn’t been able to address at the individual level in the past.”

Since their development, the silicone wristbands have been used in a variety of contexts and with diverse populations. Anderson and team have also collaborated with other SRP- and NIEHS-funded researchers to understand exposures in children and adults across the U.S. and abroad.

To learn more, see the NIEHS Environmental Factor newsletter.