Chemical products have had a positive impact on society, however, there have also been unintended consequences on human health and the environment. This question inspired my research to determine how a community of college students are exposed to flame retardant chemicals in their everyday lives. My research was focused on developing an analytical method to detect whether test subjects are exposed to penta-brominated diphenyl ether (penta-BDE) using a wearable silicone-ring passive monitor. The Penta-BDE flame retardant was selected due its persistence in everyday materials even though it has been banned since 2004. The Penta-BDE causes dangerous health problems such as cancer, and it is being found in the environment and in humans. I have exposed silicone rings to penta-BDE, extracted with ethyl acetate, and employed qualitative and quantitative examination by Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID). I have determined: (1) the effectiveness of GC-FID for quantitative Penta-BDE analysis, (2) the ability of silicone rings to absorb Penta-BDE, and (3) the reproducible detection at the parts-per-million (ppm) concentration. This research has launched a longer investigation to discover other types of chemical exposure, and how we can work together to educate and inform the college community.

Continuing investigations into the unintended consequences of chemical exposure on college students

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.