A quality mask helps you breathe fresh air even if you live in a place where the air is super polluted with all kinds of viruses, bacteria or invisible dust.
Besides CO 2 or cigarette smoke, another type of pollutant often mentioned in the results of air quality assessment is fine dust PM10 and superfine dust PM2.5 – a type of dust with a microscopic size, calculated in the air quality. by micrometer, of course cannot be seen with the naked eye and can invade into cells, hindering body activities.
In the short term, fine dust “gets” into the lungs, causing the blood not to get oxygen to feed the body, leading to consequences such as headaches, dizziness, and lethargy.
In the long run, fine dust and ultrafine dust often carry metal ions into the body, poisoning the respiratory system, destroying the body’s immune system.
The enlarged image shows that the size of PM10 and PM2.5 dust is dozens of times smaller than the surface of a human hair. This is what makes this dust so dangerous, because it can pass through ordinary fabrics, straight into the lungs.
When the air becomes polluted and human resistance is weakened because of the weather, finding a safe mask that can filter out microscopic dust becomes an essential need. Masks aren’t just to block out the sun, darken skin, or filter out dust particles so big that the naked eye can see them – choose a safe one to repel harmful agents, even if they’re almost invisible. image.
Dr. Richard Saint Cyr, working at Beijing Family Health Organization, said that there are four factors that determine the effectiveness of a mask: material, face-hugging strength, ventilation and aesthetics. beauty.
The material of the layers will determine the ability of the mask to filter small particles to the size. Medical masks or cloth masks cannot be guaranteed to filter out small particles such as PM10 or PM2.5.
Instead, the American Institute of Occupational Safety and Health recommends that you choose masks that are certified for the ability to filter small particles, such as N95, N99.
A safety mask needs to filter almost thoroughly all kinds of PM10 fine dust, PM2.5 superfine dust and bacteria and viruses that are harmful to health.
Benjamin Barrett – Professor of Air Quality Science at King’s College, London, UK, advises on CNN, face fit is the most important criterion of a mask, deciding whether the air is dirty. can “accidentally” get inside without going through the filter or not.
Saint Cyr also confirmed that the majority of masks sold in convenience stores do not meet the face-hugging standards. “One thing that’s worrying is, people are wearing them, walking around with the belief that they’re protected.”
According to experts, a safety mask needs to hug the face, allowing up to 5% of the air usually through the crevices.
In addition, two other factors that determine whether users are willing to wear masks or not are the ventilation of the mask and its aesthetics.
If a mask is secretive, it is difficult for air to pass through, the breathing of the user is difficult, especially for those who are active outdoors, the respiratory system is active.
In addition, a mask also needs to have high aesthetics, that is, the structure is not too weird, the colors and textures are beautiful. This makes users feel comfortable, confident and willing to wear masks everywhere.