Study Finds 'Forever Chemicals' in This Common Wearable Tech

By Chris Malone Méndez | Men's Journal | December 25, 2024

Read the full article by Chris Malone Méndez (Men's Journal)

"The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in many household products continues to worry scientists as they're discovered in more items used in our daily lives. A new study found PFAS—more widely known as "forever chemicals"—in a part of a common piece of wearable technology that everyone from athletes to grandparents often wear.

The study, published Dec. 18 in the Environmental Science & Technology Letters journal, found that more expensive wristbands used in smartwatches and fitness trackers that are made from fluorinated synthetic rubber were found to have high amounts of the forever chemical perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the compound is a byproduct of other PFAS that are used in things like stain-resistant fabrics, paper food packaging, and carpets. Dermal contact with PFHxA-containing products—such as wearing the smartwatch on your wrist—is just one way to be exposed to it."