Easy method for N95 mask substitute.
This research was done by Prof. Dr. Usanee Vinijkejkumnuan from the Chiang Mai University Faculty of Medicine. She has helped find a solution for the lack of N95 masks stock in Bangkok and nearby provinces.
The current crisis we are facing up against is the dust pollutants in the air quality level. In Bangkok, some zones are currently red zones with so much dust you can hardly see the view and the roads. PM2.5 dust can enter directly into the body, surpassing the breathing system as it is so tiny. In the market, common masks include the simple fabric mask found in convenient stores called the Dura mask, the 3M mask model 8210 and model 9002A classified as N95 masks.
N95 masks are able to filter out over 87 – 96 % of the PM2.5 dust in the air. The problem is that the demand for N95 masks are so high and there are not enough proper masks for everyone in the city including the outskirts of Bangkok. This has caused great health issues for people who have no choice but to use a normal Dura mask that can filter out only about 48 % of PM2.5 dust and some citizens choose not to wear any protection at all when outside.
The research has helped us find a smart and simple solution. This is to place two layers of tissue inside the Dura mask between your face and the mask, this improves the ability to filter tiny dust particles up to about 75 – 90%, almost the same as an N95 mask.
This option is also great for those who feel that N95 masks are very hard to breathe through all day and those who feel pain on their head and behind the ears when wearing an N95 mask. The Dura mask with two layers of tissue in between is very comfortable to wear with almost the same filter efficiency as the much more expensive and hard to find N95 mask.
FB Caption: This method improves the ability to filter PM2.5 dust particles in a normal Dura mask up to about 75 – 90%, almost the same as an N95 mask at 87 – 96%.
Source: js100 , MONO 29
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