Report: High levels of toxic chemicals found in Apple, Google, Samsung, and more smartwatch bands
Report: High levels of toxic chemicals found in Apple, Google, Samsung, and more smartwatch bands
Missing from the article: actual amounts of PFAS found in the bands, what percentage of it can be absorbed through skin contact, how that compares to other sources the average person might run into, and how much you have to absorb before biological damage emerges out of the statistical noise. The information may be in the original paper, but I'm disinclined to search for it there. Without those numbers, this is meaningless.
From the paper:
The very high concentrations of PFHxA readily extractable from the surfaces of fluoroelastomer watch bands, together with the current limited knowledge on the dermal absorption of PFHxA, demonstrate the need for more comprehensive exposure studies of PFHxA.
So it sounds more like it’s unclear for now. But probably best to about these bands either way.
"Very high"
This is just a news article. Also even though they had those informations in the article I won’t trust some journalist about the answers of your big questions and I suggest you the same.
One of two things is the case:
.
Do I trust the journalist? Not in the sense you mean, but I expect them to act responsibly and make a minimum effort.
How about typical watch bands? Without comparison, I highly doubt this is only happening on smartwatch bands.
From what I researched, fluoroelastomer is not silicone. Silicone bands are more common.
I am wondering about this, also. I have a regular watch, with a "plastic" band. Why would PFAS be used in these bands? Ridiculous.
If you buy a $10 "fashion watch" from the ugly shiny watch depot at your local dollar mart, odds are you'll have wrist cancer in a month.
Only watches I own are stainless steel, with stainless, leather, or fabric straps.
Problems pointed out by commenters aside, I am under the impression that there is very little oversight about this kind of stuff anymore.
For one thing - unless they've changed recently, Amazon "bins" alike products from multiple suppliers, meaning if a bad actor is introducing counterfeits (or just less stringently tested, for more fungible products) - Amazon doesn't even know who they got them from, by the time that's discovered.
But for another thing, the absolutely incredible volume of products - how on earth is anyone making sure these random-character-generated "brands" are safe?
I lack much in the way of direct evidence, cuz I've got shit to do and this isn't my life's focus - but it seems apparent that there cannot possibly be the kind of consumer safety testing that we want going on. And if that's true, it's only a matter of time before the smart capitalists realize no one is watching and they can make stuff even cheaper (I think they already have), and then how long before we as a society discover all the harm that's done as a result?
I'd love to be wrong about this, but like so many tech innovations, I have a feeling we're going to find out later there were huge harms done before we learned how to rein them in. The speed, volume, and price we've grown used to with Amazon seems to preclude consumer safety.
Brands tested:
I'm not surprised at all. My wife and I only use 3rd party metal bands because the factory bands gave us both chemical burns.
WTF lol
I’m sorry this is going to be such a shit comment, but I worked with a guy that had a fitness watch of some stripe.
He was a heavier guy and well, that plasticy band was pressed tight against his skin. One day he came in with this nasty looking ring of red and peeling skin around his wrist. Said he got a rash from the watch. (It’s very possible it was an allergic reaction to something in the band.)
This is a shit comment because I don’t know the brand, and I’m totally saying “trust me, bro.” But like, trust me, bro, it apparently happens?
Yea i know that silicon is a rough material, so I went with a woven cloth band that uses velcro to fasten the strap. Anything is better than that silicon crap.
What about Garmin?
Same question: super weird to leave them out...
Probably means no.
What about the Pinetime?
About a decade ago I had a Fitbit and wearing it caused my wrist to break out in a rash. I sent a picture of said wrist to Customer Support and they gave me a full refund on it.
Now, I've not had a watch cause me to break out like that since and I've also never owned any of the other brands on this list... Now you got me wondering.
A recent study published in the journal "Environmental Science & Technology Letters" has found that many popular smartwatch bands contain high levels of toxic "forever chemicals" known as PFAS. These chemicals are used in many products, from cookware to clothing, because they make things non-stick or water-resistant. The problem is, they don't break down in the environment and can build up in our bodies over time. This can lead to some pretty serious health problems like cancer, immune system issues, and even developmental problems in kids.
"But H20 is a chemical!" /s
what about zswatch?
Ok. Don’t eat the watches.
