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Doctors also have masks to protect them from external things (for example, when they deal with patients that have tuberculosis), although I've just learned from

Doctors also have masks to protect them from external things (for example, when they deal with patients that have tuberculosis), although I've just learned from Google that they are not technically called masks, but respirators (N95 respirators). They are quite uncomfortable to wear, though. You can breathe just fine for extended period of time but it feels (at least to me, a layman in these things) like you get less air. I wouldn't wear it as an everyday thing. I have no idea if there are more comfortable solutions that can handle pollution.

projektfu 8y ago
I've worked in one and I got used to it, wearing it for an hour at a time for 4-5 hours per day. For comfort, a positive pressure air purifying respirator (PAPR) is preferable but looks like you're on a biohazard scene.
blattimwind 8y ago
I'm a hobbyist woodworker and so I wear a half-mask with either a simple flat P3R filter [1] or a bigger A2P3R filter stack [2] a lot when doing that. When it's hot it is a bit annoying that sweat and moisture tends to condense in the mask. Another annoying thing is that these kind of masks tend to put pressure on the nasal bridge which gives you similar issues like a poorly adjusted pair of glasses. This is a larger problem with the filter stack because it is much heavier than the flat filters. As for efficiency, I found a paper (DGUV IFA 0233) saying standard P3 particle filters are highly efficient even against ultrafine aerosol particles (particle diameter below 100 nm); for "larger" stuff (PM1 and larger) these are specified to remove more than 99.9 % of them. This actually leads to P3 filters already removing a lot of smells, e.g. when you machine steel or wood, sand wood or grind steel, you don't smell it. However, gaseous stuff like solvents get through. That's what the A2 filter is for. [1] https://asset.conrad.com/media10/isa/160267/c1/-/de/831230_AB_00_FB/3m-partikelfilter-7000029734-10-paar.jpg?x=520&y=520 https://asset.conrad.com/media10/isa/160267/c1/-/de/831230_A... [2] https://assets.tooler.de/cimage/700x700/media/catalog/product/p/r/pra101701_6681329.jpg https://assets.tooler.de/cimage/700x700/media/catalog/produc... [note: outer particle filter isn't installed in this picture, it would go under the translucent hood and is about the size of a Leibniz keks [3] [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leibniz-Keks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leibniz-Keks

projektfu 8y ago

I've worked in one and I got used to it, wearing it for an hour at a time for 4-5 hours per day. For comfort, a positive pressure air purifying respirator (PAPR) is preferable but looks like you're on a biohazard scene.

blattimwind 8y ago

I'm a hobbyist woodworker and so I wear a half-mask with either a simple flat P3R filter [1] or a bigger A2P3R filter stack [2] a lot when doing that. When it's hot it is a bit annoying that sweat and moisture tends to condense in the mask. Another annoying thing is that these kind of masks tend to put pressure on the nasal bridge which gives you similar issues like a poorly adjusted pair of glasses. This is a larger problem with the filter stack because it is much heavier than the flat filters. As for efficiency, I found a paper (DGUV IFA 0233) saying standard P3 particle filters are highly efficient even against ultrafine aerosol particles (particle diameter below 100 nm); for "larger" stuff (PM1 and larger) these are specified to remove more than 99.9 % of them. This actually leads to P3 filters already removing a lot of smells, e.g. when you machine steel or wood, sand wood or grind steel, you don't smell it. However, gaseous stuff like solvents get through. That's what the A2 filter is for. [1] https://asset.conrad.com/media10/isa/160267/c1/-/de/831230_AB_00_FB/3m-partikelfilter-7000029734-10-paar.jpg?x=520&y=520 https://asset.conrad.com/media10/isa/160267/c1/-/de/831230_A... [2] https://assets.tooler.de/cimage/700x700/media/catalog/product/p/r/pra101701_6681329.jpg https://assets.tooler.de/cimage/700x700/media/catalog/produc... [note: outer particle filter isn't installed in this picture, it would go under the translucent hood and is about the size of a Leibniz keks [3] [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leibniz-Keks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leibniz-Keks