2024-03-29T05:07:57Zhttp://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/requestoai:digital.csic.es:10261/2017902021-02-10T05:31:36Zcom_10261_5062com_10261_5col_10261_5064
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Pacitto, Antonio
author
Amato, Fulvio
author
Salmatonidis, Apostolos
author
Moreno, Teresa
author
Alastuey, Andrés
author
Reche, Cristina
author
Buonanno, Giorgio
author
Benito, C.
author
Querol, Xavier
author
2019-02
Cycling and walking are promoted as means of transportation which can contribute to the reduction of traffic pollution in urban areas. However, cyclists and pedestrians may be exposed to high concentrations of air pollutants due to their proximity to vehicle emissions. Commercial face mask respirators are widely used, in both developing and developed countries, as an individual protective measure against particle pollution. However scientific data on the efficacy of face mask respirators in reducing airborne particle exposure is limited. In this study, a custom experimental set-up was developed in order to measure the effectiveness of nine different respirators under real environmental conditions in terms of particle mass concentration below 2.5 μm (PM2.5), particle number concentration (PNC), Lung Deposited Surface Area (LDSA) and Black Carbon concentration (BC). Face mask performances were assessed in a typical traffic affected urban background environment in the city of Barcelona under three different simulated breathing rates to investigate the influence of flow rate. Results showed a median face mask effectiveness for PM2.5 equal to 48% in a range of 14–96%, 19% in a range of 6%–61% for BC concentration, 19% in a range of 4%–63% for PNC and 22% in a range of 5%–65% for LDSA. For each pollutant under investigation, the best performance was found always with the same mask (N7) although it is not the most expensive (in a range of price of 1 to 44, its cost was 20 euros), which has a filter on the entire surface except for the 2 exhalation valves where air cannot enter but just exit and shows a good fit on the dummy head. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.
Science of the Total Environment 650:1582-1590 (2019)
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/201790
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.109
Black carbon
Commuters exposure
Cyclist's exposure protection
Lung deposited surface area
Lung deposited surface area
Ultrafine particles
Effectiveness of commercial face masks to reduce personal PM exposure