Innovation of the week: Toxin-detecting wearable

Ever wonder what toxins you are exposed to on a daily basis? A new wristband will tell you, said Adele Peters in Fast Company. MyExposome is made of a special material that acts like a sponge for chemicals, such as pesticides, endocrine disrupters, and flame retardants. Users wear the wristband for a week and then ship it to MyExposome's lab, where it is analyzed for more than 1,400 different toxins.

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The wristband takes its name from the "exposome," a concept used to describe "all the things we're exposed to throughout our lives." Besides providing personal test results, the company hopes to track broader patterns, such as which chemicals are most common in certain neighborhoods and cities. In a small pilot screening, MyExposome discovered that "almost everyone was exposed to at least one flame retardant and one pesticide" on a regular basis.