Within my laboratory, we study the particular impact of pollution on health. We recently tested the effectiveness of different types of face masks - including versions traditional in developing countries - at dangerously high levels of particulate topic.
Our results indicate that absolutely no mask guarantees total efficiency knowning that the least expensive masks - trusted in polluted large cities - hardly protect. This work shows the need to fight against air pollution in order to inform the most exposed populations on the way to protect themselves from it.
Around emerging countries, millions of people arrived at live in cities with high levels of air pollution. According to WHO, 98% of cities in low- and middle-income countries neglect to meet the UN's recommendations on air quality, compared with 56% within high-income countries. If you require a day when the air quality is quite bad in Delhi, the degrees of particulate matter can achieve 350 micrograms per cubic meter associated with air, against 20 on per day considered polluted in Houston.
In our study, we compared six kinds of face masks made from materials, paper or polypropylene. To gauge their effectiveness, we put them on foam heads that we installed in an airtight chamber. We then sprayed the particle chamber and measured the differences between the levels in the chamber and the filtered air for every single masks.
We were especially curious about inexpensive masks massively used with developing countries. These generally consist of a sheet of stretch fabric worn on the mouth and nose that two elastics placed across the ears retain. We find for not as much as 1 dollar; washable and reusable, they're affordable for the urban poor.
In our tests, these inexpensive and key masks have shown less efficacy, by filtering from 15 that will 57% of fine particles. In a day of pollution in Delhi, consequently up to 85% of these particles can pass and reach the lungs on the user - which amounts that will about 300 micrograms of good particles per cubic meter, or 10 times more than the rates recommended by EXACTLY WHO.
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