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. 2010 Oct;54(7):789-98.
doi: 10.1093/annhyg/meq044. Epub 2010 Jun 28.

Simple respiratory protection--evaluation of the filtration performance of cloth masks and common fabric materials against 20-1000 nm size particles

Samy Rengasamy  1 , Benjamin Eimer, Ronald E Shaffer
Affiliations

Simple respiratory protection--evaluation of the filtration performance of cloth masks and common fabric materials against 20-1000 nm size particles

Samy Rengasamy et al. Ann Occup Hyg. 2010 Oct.

Abstract

A shortage of disposable filtering facepiece respirators can be expected during a pandemic respiratory infection such as influenza A. Some individuals may want to use common fabric materials for respiratory protection because of shortage or affordability reasons. To address the filtration performance of common fabric materials against nano-size particles including viruses, five major categories of fabric materials including sweatshirts, T-shirts, towels, scarves, and cloth masks were tested for polydisperse and monodisperse aerosols (20-1000 nm) at two different face velocities (5.5 and 16.5 cm s⁻¹) and compared with the penetration levels for N95 respirator filter media. The results showed that cloth masks and other fabric materials tested in the study had 40-90% instantaneous penetration levels against polydisperse NaCl aerosols employed in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health particulate respirator test protocol at 5.5 cm s⁻¹. Similarly, varying levels of penetrations (9-98%) were obtained for different size monodisperse NaCl aerosol particles in the 20-1000 nm range. The penetration levels of these fabric materials against both polydisperse and monodisperse aerosols were much higher than the penetrations for the control N95 respirator filter media. At 16.5 cm s⁻¹ face velocity, monodisperse aerosol penetrations slightly increased, while polydisperse aerosol penetrations showed no significant effect except one fabric mask with an increase. Results obtained in the study show that common fabric materials may provide marginal protection against nanoparticles including those in the size ranges of virus-containing particles in exhaled breath.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Polydisperse NaCl aerosol penetration levels for cloth masks at two different face velocities. Error bars indicate 95% confidence level.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Polydisperse NaCl aerosol penetration levels for sweatshirts and T-shirts at two different face velocities. Error bars indicate 95% confidence level.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Polydisperse NaCl aerosol penetration levels for towels and scarves at two different face velocities. Error bars indicate 95% confidence level.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Monodisperse aerosol penetration levels for cloth masks at two different face velocities. Error bars indicate 95% confidence level (closed symbols, TSI 3160 and open symbols, SMPS).
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Monodisperse aerosol penetration levels at two different face velocities for sweatshirts (a and b) and T-shirts (c and d). Error bars indicate 95% confidence level. (closed symbols, TSI 3160 and open symbols, SMPS).
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Monodisperse aerosol penetration levels at two different face velocities for towels (a and b) and scarves (c and d). Error bars indicate 95% confidence level. (closed symbols, TSI 3160 and open symbols, SMPS).
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