RadBand Seawater Monitoring Bracelet

Inventors: Ken Buesseler
Publication No. US20170045628A1

Overview: Radioactivity and other contaminants appear in public waterways either naturally or as a result of an accident or catastrophe, with possible implications for human and ecosystem health. Current sampling methods to determine contaminant quantities require known volumes of water which can mean heavy and expensive transport. Public interest in maintaining safe water has in-part led to an age of crowd-sourced environmental data through citizen science initiatives. A less expensive measurement method that takes advantage of citizen science on an individual basis, could result in increased data from many more sites.

Technology: RadBands, in the form of bracelets, anklets, or other wearable articles, are fabricated with absorptive qualities specific for the radioisotope or other contamination of interest. RadBand technology can be worn by individuals during normal water activities to collect, transmit, and display data. These wearable articles may also have positioning devices and/or digital interfaces to enhance data collection. A proof of concept has been accomplished for radioactive cesium, and the technology is also applicable for detection of water-borne pathogens.