Study of face mask filtration efficiency to prevent fine dust to secure people’s right to health

This study aimed to demonstrate how South Korean news media routinized and sensationalized the face mask amid two recent public health crises: the fine-dust crisis and the COVID-19 epidemic. News media appropriated the mythologized meaning of the face mask as a symbol of individual safety during the two crises. This study analyses news articles to answer three questions: (1) How was wearing the face mask mythologized as a routinized practice in days of uncertain risk? (2) How was the face mask politicized as a mythologized sign indicating China as an external threat? and (3) How was the face mask politicized as a symbolic code of the government’s responsibility for the crisis? Once signified as the primary means of individual protection in the context of Korean risk society, the face mask became politicized amid the shortage of the face mask. Placed in the context of the recent disastrous crises in Korea, China was identified as the culprit not only in the epidemic but also in the shortage of the face mask. The meaning of China as an external threat was continuously strengthened when the South Korean government opted out of the entry ban on Chinese citizens. The last analytic part presents how news media politicized the epidemic by associating the face mask crisis with the Korean government.

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Mn/Ce Oxides Decorated Polyphenylene Sulfide Needle-Punching Fibrous Felts for Dust Removal and Denitration Application

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym12010168 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 168

Author(s):

Ying Chen ◽

Hongwei He ◽

Shaohua Wu ◽

Xin Ning ◽

Fuxing Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Catalytic Reduction ◽

Filter Material ◽

Filtration Efficiency ◽

Polyphenylene Sulfide ◽

Dust Removal ◽

Catalyst Loading ◽

Gas Purification ◽

Fine Dust ◽

Fuel Gas ◽

Needle Punching

Development of a novel filter material is urgently required for replacing the high-cost flue gas purification technology in the simultaneous removal of both fine dust and Nitrogen oxides (NOx). In this study; polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) needle-punching fibrous felts (NPFF) were employed as the filter material to remove the fine dust; and in the meanwhile; Mn and Ce oxides were loaded onto the PPS NPFF as the catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3. Two different pretreatment methods; i.e., sodium alginate (SA) deposition and plasma treatment; were employed to modify the PPS NPFF before the traditional impregnation and thermal treatment processes during the catalyst loading. The results showed that these two pretreatment methods both afforded the PPS NPFF with the enhanced loading rate and stability of Mn/Ce oxides compared to those without any pretreatments; which were significantly beneficial for the denitration application. Moreover; we found that both SA deposition and plasma pre-treated samples presented excellent dust-removal properties; and the filtration efficiency could reach 100% when the particle size of the fine particulates was above 4 μm. This study demonstrated that our Mn/Ce oxides decorated PPS NPFF have great potential to be applied in the fuel gas purification field; due to their stable structure; handling convenience; and excellent filtration efficiency; as well as high denitration performance.

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Filtration Efficiency of Hospital Face Mask Alternatives Available for Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic

JAMA Internal Medicine ◽

10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4221 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 180 (12) ◽

pp. 1607 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Emily E. Sickbert-Bennett ◽

James M. Samet ◽

Phillip W. Clapp ◽

Hao Chen ◽

Jon Berntsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Face Mask ◽

Filtration Efficiency

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Test Method for Evaluating the Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) of Medical Face Mask Materials, Using a Biological Aerosol of Staphylococcus aureus

10.1520/f2101-07 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Face Mask ◽

Filtration Efficiency ◽

Test Method

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Improving Purification Filter Characteristics of Fine Dust Particles Based on Aramid 1313 Denier Technology

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.1073-1076.854 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1073-1076 ◽

pp. 854-859

Author(s):

Jian Liang He ◽

Heng Gen Shen ◽

Jing Zhong Bi ◽

Hong Jiang Xin

Keyword(s):

Energy Conservation ◽

Emission Reduction ◽

Air Permeability ◽

Filtration Efficiency ◽

Filter Medium ◽

Dust Particles ◽

Fine Dust ◽

Initial Resistance

In order to improve the effect of meta-aramid on filtering fine dust particles such as PM2.5, the fineness of the fine denier meta-aramid was discretized, and new differential fiber was obtained. According to the results, this filter medium was superior to conventional 2.2 dtex samples in terms of classified filtration and caused a more significant effect on collecting fine dust particles; the initial resistance remained unchanged roughly; and the air permeability could reach 279 L/(m2•s), demonstrating that this filter medium has a great advantage in filtration efficiency as well as energy conservation and emission reduction.

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Non-Woven Materials for Cloth-Based Face Mask Inserts: Relationship Between Material Properties and Sub-Micron Aerosol Filtration

10.26434/chemrxiv.13696705.v2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Leigh R. Crilley ◽

Andrea Angelucci ◽

Brian Malile ◽

Cora J. Young ◽

Trevor C. VandenBoer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Face Mask ◽

Filtration Efficiency ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Public Health Agencies ◽

Wide Range ◽

Aerosol Filtration ◽

Health Agencies ◽

Micron Particle ◽

Current Guidance ◽

Evidence Based Guidelines

<div>Current guidance by leading public health agencies recommends wearing a 3-layer cloth-based face mask with a middle non-woven material insert to reduce the transmission of infectious respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2. In this work we explore the material characteristics for a range of readily available non-woven materials and their sub-micron particle filtration efficiency (PFE), with the aim of providing evidence-based guidelines for selecting appropriate materials as inserts in cloth-based masks. We observed a wide range of ideal PFE for the tested non-woven materials, with polypropylene, Swiffer and Rayon/polyester blend providing the highest PFE and breathability. Our results suggest that materials comprising loose 3D fibrous webs (e.g. flannel, Swiffer and gauze) exhibited enhanced filtration efficiency compared to compressed counterparts. Common modifications to fabrics, such as water-resistant treatment and a sewn seam were also investigated. Overall, we demonstrate that adding an appropriate non-woven material as an insert filter can significantly improve the performance of cloth-based masks, and there exist suitable cellulose-based alternatives to polypropylene.</div>

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The Filtration Efficiency of Single-Layer Textiles for Respiratory protection

The Journal of Science and Medicine ◽

10.37714/josam.v3i2.80 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Behnam Pourdeyhimi ◽

Simon Schick ◽

Robert Groten

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Single Layer ◽

Face Mask ◽

Filtration Efficiency ◽

Respiratory Protection ◽

Test Protocol ◽

Astm Standard ◽

The Face

Due to the increasing number of corona cases and the face mask industry's associated bottleneck, this work focuses on the various single-layer textiles used as cloth masks. The purpose of this work is to test ten different single-layer textiles for their suitability as face masks. All tests in this work were carried out based on the ASTM F2299 and the new ASTM Standard for barrier masks (3502-21). The new standard offers a more precisely defined test protocol and is consistent with how respirators are tested. The results show that only one of the ten textiles tested meets the ASTM requirements for a barrier mask. We also include data for ASTM F2299 and report the results for unneutralized challenge particles at various face velocities for the same single-layer textiles. These results are different from those of the ASTM 3502 because the particle size and the procedure used are different. Under ASTM 3502, the resistance values are significantly higher, and the efficiency values are significantly lower than those reported by using the ASTM F2299.

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