4 ms·
Some expiration dates are important. Many, perhaps most, are arbitrary, fake, or ultra-conservative – optimized to minimize liability & maximize repurchases in
by gojomo 7y ago
Some expiration dates are important. Many, perhaps most, are arbitrary, fake, or ultra-conservative – optimized to minimize liability & maximize repurchases in non-emergency situations.
An expired mask will almost certainly be better than no mask. And especially so stored well with no visible degradation – it's heat & contamination by elements that could jeopardize their essential properties.
(Some N95 masks I bought during last year's northern California fires are individually sealed in cellophane with no expiration date. Stored in a cool, dry place they'd likely be fine decades from now. If some governments bought flakier masks in more-fragile packaging with early expiration dates, that's on them.)
- spectramax 7y agoAs a consumer, how do you know which ones are to trust and which ones to not? How do you know that your N95 mask is “fine”? Ultra fine submicron particles in your lungs can lead to a lot of problems. These fibers are essentially plastic.
- gojomo 7y agoHow does one know anything's "fine"? Your senses & accumulated evidence. Let's say it's the Zombie Uprising of 2040, and I open a well-stored, individually-wrapped N95 mask from 20 years ago. It's got no expiration date on it (as per the ones I bought last year), & it looks good, & doesn't give off any dust, & it smells the same as I recall new masks smelling. I'll figure that's "fine" – unless & until someone has specifically shared some study demonstrating their dangerous-yet-imperceptible degradation. Is there such a study, or is this just "there be dragons" fear-of-the-unknown?