Using wearable devices for assessing the impacts of hair exposome in Brazil

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that physicochemical properties of hair can be impacted by internal and environmental exposures ranging from chemical stressors to weather. Besides the effects on hair, these exposures, termed “exposome”, can act on specific organs including skin, as a synergistic damaging effect of UV exposure and pollution on human surfaces. The combination of several environmental factors such as sun exposure, temperature, relative humidity, air pollution and photo-oxidation caused by ground level ozone impacts hair properties such as melanin oxidation, protein content, surface quality and structural components. Therefore, exposome studies can reveal new hypotheses on how epithelia and hair could be affected by daily life environment and routine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of several environmental aggressors on human surfaces, using portable and wearable devices for monitoring exposome. To better understand the underlying mechanisms associated with environmental factors, two subjects wore multiple sensors to capture the meteorological conditions biking through urban areas in summer and winter. Temperature, humidity, UV radiation and ozone concentration were recorded and hair swatches of different types, including natural, bleached/colored, colored and gray, were exposed on the helmets. Silicon wristbands were used on skin to identify main chemical aggressors. After exposure, hair swatches were analyzed by surface microscopy analysis, oxidation markers and more than 1,500 chemicals were evaluated on the bracelets. Correlated with GPS and monitoring data, all these results provide insights on how environmental stressors affect the quality of different hair types and body surface according to exposure routine. Our results suggest extreme climate conditions associated with hair damage and photo-oxidative marker linked to the environmental aggressors. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) indicate possible causes of hair damages. This is the first meteorotropic study of its kind, combining environmental aggressors related to hair damage, opening new research hypothesis further studies on exposome.

Wearable Devices for Environmental Monitoring in the Built Environment: A Systematic Review

“…In [83], the authors reported a research study on multi-stimuli (air temperature and UV) responsive chromism capable of displaying different colours in four different temperature ranges (blue at T < 15 • C, green at 15 • C < T < 33 • C, red at 33 • C < T < 65 • C, and white T > 65 • C) covering a wide range of applications, more than just monitoring environmental conditions. In [84], the authors used different wearables to evaluate the effects of hair exposomes in Brazil. In [85], the authors estimated Heat Exposure of public service workers in Birmingham, Alabama, using thermometers attached to the workers' shoes.…”

“…In [92], the wearable collects ozone concentration data among the other thermal, biometric, and activity data. It is interesting to note the case of study [84] where two wearables, the MyExposome wristband and the 2BTech Personal Ozone Monitor, were used to collect data on environmental aggressors (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-PAHs, oxygenated PAHs-OPAHs, Polychlorinated biphenyls-PCBs, Pesticides, organophophorous flame retardants-OPFRs, Surface ozone content-SOC) associated with hair damage. In [78], a significant negative correlation was found between the otoacoustic emission levels and the concentration of the styrene urinary metabolites, in workers employed in molding and in artifacts refining.…”

Framework for a Community Health Observing System for the Gulf of Mexico Region: Preparing for Future Disasters

“…Silicone wristbands appear to be the simplest, least expensive, and easiest to deploy WHD for capturing potential contact and inhalation exposure for a large number of potentially dangerous chemicals, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), flame retardants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, dioxins, furans, some endocrinedisrupting chemicals, potential carcinogens, and other chemicals (94)(95)(96). Rapid progress also is being made in development of practical WHDs for cholesterol cortisol, glucose, and other parameters (1).…”

Firefighter exposures to potential endocrine disrupting chemicals measured by military-style silicone dog tags

“…The term “structural firefighter” here refers to a firefighter who mainly engaged with building, vehicle, and other urban fires, rather than wildfires. Other personalized passive sampling devices include silicone wristbands ( Anderson et al, 2017 ; Bergmann et al, 2017 ; De Vecchi et al, 2019 ; Dixon et al, 2019 ; Dixon et al, 2018 ; Donald et al, 2016 ; Donald et al, 2019 ; Hammel et al, 2020 ; Hammel et al, 2016 ; Hammel et al, 2018 ; Harley et al, 2019 ; Hendryx et al, 2019 ; Kile et al, 2016 ; Manzano et al, 2019 ; O’Connell et al, 2014a ; Paulik et al, 2018 ; Reddam et al, 2020 ). We previously demonstrated that firefighter PAH exposures differed by fire department call volume, duty shift, and number of fire attacks.…”