Studies have shown that N95 gas masks can effectively protect people from wildfire smoke

N95 masks provide the best protection against wildfire smoke and other types of air pollution, and perform better than synthetic masks, cotton masks and surgical masks

Researchers conducted laboratory experiments to study the ability of different masks and respirators to filter out particles of various sizes in smoke and air pollution

In laboratory experiments, n95 is very effective, and researchers estimate that their widespread use can reduce the number of hospitalizations due to wildfire smoke by 22% to 39%

The new research is published in the journal Earth Health, which investigates the intersection of humans and the health of the planet in order to achieve a sustainable future

Climate change has made wildfires in the western United States more frequent and intense, and the resulting smoke has caused damage to people’s health

During the coronavirus pandemic, masks have become second nature to many people, which makes some people wonder whether masks and respirators can also protect people from smoke and pollution

Jack Kodros, an atmospheric scientist at Colorado State University and the lead author of the new study, said: "People are asking, should we continue to use them at the beginning of the summer fire season?" There are not many guidelines on what masks can help alleviate wildfire smoke

Kodros and his team measured the filtering effect of N95 masks, synthetic masks, cotton masks and surgical masks on air pollution particles

They found that n95 provides the best protection against wildfire smoke, reducing the amount of smoke that people are exposed to by 16 times

n95 is the best at combating larger dust particles and urban air pollution.

Reduce the number of people hospitalized due to wildfire smoke

In the second part of the study, the researchers estimated the benefits of wearing masks for the entire population

The model shows that n95 can avoid about 30% of hospital visits due to wildfire smoke

Kodros emphasized that these mask recommendations are for air pollution and do not apply to the coronavirus

Stephanie Holm, co-director of the Western States Pediatric environmental Health Specialty Unit, pediatrician, and environmental epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco (University of California, San Francisco) said At present, people have a lot of interest in the effect of different mask materials in filtering particulate matter, but there are also many confusions
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She said: "I think this research fills a good gap.
We are thinking about how to transform this filtered data into a real level of protection, and the real difference in health effects that we can see in the population
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"

Holm was not involved in this research, but she often advises families on how to protect themselves from wildfire smoke, and is happy to include this information in her recommendations
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 DOI

10.
1029/2021 gh000482