Fitness trackers and smart sawatch bands are the latest consumers containing per- and polyFluoroalkial substances (PFA), according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.

In a study published on Wednesday at Science & Technology Letters on Wednesday, researchers tested 22 bands of watches purchased in the US from different brands and on a series of prices. Many strips were produced using a fluoroelalastomer, a synthetic polymer used to make rubber material resistant on sweat, leather oils and lotions. The results have shown that nine of the 22 tested belts contain elevated levels of PFA -called PERFLUOROHEC ACID (PFHXA). The elevated levels of PFHX were prevalent in higher prices classes or those costing more than $ 15.

The study is the first to deal with PFA in fitness trackers and smart bands.

“The most prominent thing we found in this study were very high concentrations of only one PFA -there were some samples above 1,000 parts to a billion PFHX, which is much higher than most PFA we saw in consumer products,” he said Graham Peaslee, a study co -author and professor emeritus at the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

PFA -and are widely used in consumer and industrial products from the 1950s. With an almost unbreakable chemical structure, they do not break down or break down, contaminate soil and groundwater systems and last in the environment for decades – earning them the name “forever chemicals”. Manufacturers use forever chemicals to make the products resistant to water, heat and spots. Over the years, Peaslee and his laboratory have discovered PFAs in several industrial and consumer products, including fast food wrap, cosmetics, female hygiene products, eye drops, dental flos, plastic vessels, textiles, firefighting equipment and artificial lawns.

Chemicals are also migrated from treated surfaces to the skin and powder and air, creating more exposure trails, including inhalation, swallowing and dermal absorption. Peaslee and his team cited it as significant concerns about load -bearing consumer products.

“So far, several studies have been published on PFA’s dermal absorption,” said Alyssa Wicks, a graduate student in the Peaslee Laboratory and the leading author of the study. “One article published earlier this year the European Research Group revealed that several types of PFA had a significant transfer through the skin. This initial study only examined about 20 of 14,000 known types of PFA, and more studies are needed to better understand how PFA travel through the skin. “

It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans carry smart watches or fitness trackers, according to the 2019 Pew research. Another study found that consumers carry their wearable on average 11 hours a day.

Peaslee’s laboratory tested samples using an analysis of Ion air gamma-rays caused by particles and liquid chromatography tandem of mass spectrometry tandem to determine the total fluorine content and identify the specific type of PFA. High fluorine level is a sign of the presence of Pfas.

The studio includes new and used bands. The samples are also divided at a price. Bands with price points less than $ 15 are listed as “cheap”, while those between $ 15 and $ 30 are considered a “medium range” and those more than $ 30 are classified as “expensive”. Three tested belts were considered a set and all three contained significantly elevated fluorine levels.

“Fifteen of the 22 belts we tested had a high percentage of total fluorine concentrations, and nine contained PFHX,” Wicks said. “Others used some other unidentified surface active substances that were not in our target analysis.”

All three belts identified at an expensive price, and 12 out of 14 belt at the price of a medium range contained a highly elevated amount of measurable fluorine. All five cheap belts contained very few overall fluors, dimensions less than 1 percent.

Forever they are associated with multiple health conditions, including immunosuppression, hormonal diregulation, delay in children, small weight of birth and accelerated puberty, high blood pressure at pregnant women and increased risk of certain cancers, such as kidney and testicular cancer.

Peaslee said the results suggest that a comprehensive study of the pfas belt tester is needed.

Heather Whitehead, a Notre Dame graduate and a former doctoral student at Peaslee Laboratory, was also a study co -author.

Read more about how notre ladies are dealing with chemicals forever.

Contact: Jessica SieffAssociate Director of Media Relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu