While particulate respirator type N95 masks are tried, tested and proven effective in terms of protection against COVID-19, they are a potential shield against other factors that may be harmful to human health, like wildfire smoke.
A CPR report said, as shown in studies, N95 masks provide the most protection from the virus. Researchers at Colorado State University are saying that they could be the "most effective face wear" to filter out smoke from a wildfire.
Specifically, the study revealed that the N95 mask significantly decreased exposure to particles found in smoke, which can intensify the risk of asthma, pulmonary illness, and other respiratory conditions.
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Do Other Face Masks Offer the Same Protection?
The study published in GeoHealth also found that other types of face masks typically being used against COVID-19, which include cotton, surgical and synthetic masks, provide much weaker protection against smoke particles.
According to research scientists and lead author of the study, Jack Kodros, the CSU researchers started 2021 by examining the different face masks as protection from COVID-19.
He also said he started the study after his friends asked him if the masks they had stocked up during this pandemic could be effective during the wildfire season, too.
He realized then that there weren't a lot of "quantitative guidelines" for the public on how helpful masking would be or what specific masks or respirators might be the most effective.
Efficacy of N95 Masks
The research team examined the efficacy of each mask at filtering air pollution particles and prevention of leaks. They then modeled how each of the masks would have performed during the wildfire season in 2012 in Washington State, factoring for many individuals likely to wear them and for a certain period.
As a result, the researchers suggested N95 masks, as detailed in the United States Food and Drug Administration website, could have lessened the smoke-related hospital admissions between 22 percent and 39 percent.
The study also found that surgical masks decreased hospital visits by 17 percent, synthetic masks reduced hospitalization by 13 percent, and cotton masks by six percent.
Kodros explained, cloth masks will not provide all that much protection from wildfire smoke. They only let too many particles in, and they tend to leak. More so, he added, "the air goes around the mask."
Airtight Seal Against Wildfire Smoke
Much of the success of the particulate respirator type N95 relies on it creating an airtight seal around the nose and mouth, not to mention the amount of time it's worn.
The research showed that the tighter the seal and the longer the masking, the stronger the protection, not just from COVID-19 but more specifically from wildfires.
Wildfires are turning out to be more frequent and stronger because of climate change. Smoke from both local and remote wildfires can worsen the quality of air that is already decreased by ozone, like what happened this summer in the Front Range.
While N95 masks were in high demand in 2020, they are now much simpler to find, a recent update from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. According to Kodros, he's hoping people begin to use the masks as another shielding layer from air pollution.
He added, the fact that there are conversations about putting fabric over mouths since the air breathed in is toxic should be a wake-up call to begin looking at the environment.
Related information about the right mask for wildfires is shown on Julie Watts TV Investigates' YouTube video below:
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