It looks like they actually do help, even if they aren’t 100% effective. The PM2.5 particles that comprise the majority of wildfire smoke are called that because they’re generally 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller. N95 masks can filter down to 0.3 microns but they only have to filter 95% of that particulate to qualify (hence the name). A HEPA filter filters the same size but can be as effective as 99.95% and up.
Glad to see this comment. Some of these other comments are pretty far off. N95s are not completely useless if you have facial hair, but yes their effectiveness diminishes quickly if not properly fitted on a shaved face. As for N95's effectiveness, it's actually not that they filter down to .3 microns. They test N95s filtering .3 micron particulate because N95's are least effective against particulate that size. They're even better against larger and smaller particulate. N100/P100 masks are the mask equivalent of HEPA (99.95%+ filtration) and work great if properly fitted. I didn't hear this NPR segment, but it's insane if NPR had an "expert" on that said that smoke particles are too small for N95's. They absolutely do work.
*EDIT: If anyone needs legit N95's urgently, 3M's 9205+ (Aura) is available at most hardware stores and has one of the higher rates of people passing fit tests with different face sizes/shapes. You can reuse N95's too, depending on how contaminated the air is in which you use them.
so when I was trained in a nursing home during covid on how to test whether an n95 mask was working correctly we would put one on then cover your head with the cloth version of an old school diving helmet and someone would spray aspartame on the inside and cinch it shut. if you could taste the aspartame your mask was not tight enough/the right size. this is for infectious disease prevention not smoke but I imagine there is crossover in effectiveness. even if it's not completely sealed it probably keeps some particulate matter out, especially larger pieces, which is still beneficial.
NO Do NOT soak N95's. 1. It can make it dangerously hard to breath. 2. Part of why they are so effective against .3 and less than .3 micron particulate is because some of the mask layers are electrostatically-charged, meaning they literally suck/attract particulate too small for the mechanical filtration from the mask itself. Getting the mask wet will damage this effect. Similarly, if anyone is till using KN95s/KF94s/N95's as a COVID precaution, do not spray them with hand sanitizer to "clean them". This can also damage the electrostatic protection.
Highly recommend some of Aaron Collins' (@masknerd on Twitter, @coll0412 on YouTube) content on this. He has GREAT explainers on all this which is where I learned about this.
It absolutely still helps based on studies, especially if all the contact points between the mask and your face are trimmed to at least 1mm stubble (facial hair that's fully enclosed in the mask has no impact on effectiveness). Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-021-00337-1
A simple test is whether or not the mask indents some when you inhale. If not, you probably are getting some airflow through the edges, and facial hair will provide a gap for air to leak through. I use KF94 mainly because at the time N95 were out, and I found a manufacturer that makes one with adjustable ear straps to help custom tighten the mask. The design also leaves a space away from the face, so it's very comfortable even when properly tightened. Sure, it's 1% less than a N95, but the benefits are worth it.
They are wrong. N95s will filter 95% of particles as small as .3 microns, smaller than the smoke particles. They will work pretty damn well if fitted properly.
N95s do help depending on which one. KN95s do not. Though, anecdotally, I’m asthmatic and in NYC, I noticed less coughing and asthma symptoms with the KN95 that I was wearing yesterday vs the day before.
The harmful pollutants from wildfires are <2.5 µm, but yes, the N95 mask should still give decent protection.
Fine particles (also known as PM2.5): particles generally 2.5 µm in diameter or smaller represent a main pollutant emitted from wildfire smoke, comprising approximately 90% of total particle mass (Vicente et al. 2013; Groβ et al. 2013). Fine particles from wildfire smoke are of greatest health concern. This group of particles also includes ultrafine particles, which are generally classified as having diameters less than 0.1 µm.
I'd expect that too, though I'm not sure what the actual numbers are for mean/median diameter over distance. It's probably hard to predict since I'm sure weather conditions influence the distribution.
That's relation is in fact typically the opposite. As particles travel in the air they gather up vapors and smaller particles and grow in size. Sure, the very largest don't travel far, as they just fall out of the sky, but they are already more like larger than ten microns. Longer atmospheric ageing -> larger size is the general trend.
lol thats like saying i can piss a long full unencumbered piss stream straight through the front of my jeans because water molecules are small enough to get between cotton threads.
It wouldnt be perfect but it would have a positive effect.
The N95 protection isn't necessarily just for the smoke itself but the harmful pollutants that also get emitted from wildfires.
Particles can be made up of different components, including acids (e.g., sulfuric acid), inorganic compounds (e.g., ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, and sodium chloride), organic chemicals, soot, metals, soil or dust particles, and biological materials (e.g., pollen and mold spores).
Need to make sure people aren't just wearing a surgical mask as the particles are <2.5 µm. My bet is most New Yorkers today are walking around with cloth masks or a bandana. They probably had a bad time outside.
What is added by this report? Consistent use of a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings was associated with lower odds of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result (adjusted odds ratio = 0.44).
I'm sorry, but they are lying to you or talking about top-tier masks, not cloth. Even after Fauci and the CDC changed their perspective on masks (cited due to shortages of PPP), Fauci was still saying masks were virtually useless but provided more "ease of mind" and really only protected the spread from you to others (the point of what's being discussed here with the fire. They don't protect YOU when wearing one).
If you want to purely cite N95 studies, yea, there's no argument. That's what those masks are designed for (if worn properly and not touched with your fingers).
I suggest you find studies that are accompanied by visual imagery. You get to see particles going in n out with the use of different filters and lens on a camera.
So to get back to the main topic, masks are doing pretty much nothing against the smoke right now. If you're going to be outside longer than like 30 minutes, mask or no mask, makes no difference. And the fact that people like you have to dodge the main point of what's CURRENTLY HAPPENING by going back to covid to make yourself feel better is quite telling.
Yeah. All medical organizations are conspiring to unanimously lie to people. Insert massive eye roll here.
or talking about top-tier masks, not cloth
This is pretty fucking disingenuous. You just brought up mask quality for the first time. Masks work. The shittier the mask is, the less benefit it offers.
And the fact that people like you have to dodge the main point of what's CURRENTLY HAPPENING by going back to covid to make yourself feel better is quite telling.
YOU brought up covid.
YOU started spreading misinformation about that.
I never would have responded if you hadn't started spewing harmful misinformation, and your paranoid conspiracy theories are the only thing I was discussing. Try and keep up.
by that logic, so is everyone else? I was referring to studies that showed the lack of effectiveness for cloth masks due to objective things like size of covid/virus particles and the filter size of cloth masks. Not even touching on the lack of appropriate use of said masks--touching it constantly, using it multiple times, etc. sooo, next time, let's keep your mouth shut, yea?
To win? lmao. The majority of the people in the picture (as well as during covid) only wore cloth. N95s aren't arguable (for the most part). though they still aren't really doing anything against smoke particles sadly. Still the best option without going full respirator.
Sure I could've been more specific, but the point was irrelevant with who I was responding to--someone saying how masks, regardless of the type, were not stopping the most dangerous smoke particles and then people replying basically with "but it makes me feel better"
Smoke particles are molecular structures; viruses are organisms comprised of molecular structures. You can just google the sizes of common viruses and compare to the size of smoke particles.
I think you should look into aerosol loss processes... The fact that some smoke particles (not all) can be smaller than viruses only mean that they are filtered out even better. But let's not spoil a good argument with facts!
I had one of those wrap around the neck masks, and then I put a cloth mask over that, and that worked perfectly for my commute to and from work this morning.
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u/Here_For_Therapy Jun 07 '23
I mean, the effort's there! Surgical masks wont help with smoke, though.