The Complete Guide to Face Masks and Respirators and How They Can Protect You from Mould

The Complete Guide to Face Masks and Respirators and How They Can Protect You from Mould

Introduction: What is a Face Mask?

The air quality in the world is deteriorating. With the increase in population, pollution and climate change, the air quality has become much worse. There are many sources of pollution that affect our health, but we often neglect to protect ourselves from it.

A face mask is a device that covers your nose and mouth to filter out particulates or other pollutants from the air. A respirator is a type of mask that covers your nose and mouth with a filter to protect you from inhaling airborne contaminants in the environment.

Some common types of masks are dust masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks which are designed for use against particulates such as dusts, molds, bacteria or viruses.

How to Choose the Best Face Mask for Your Needs

What are the best face masks for your needs?

Choosing the right mask is an important task. You need to know what type of mask you need, how many masks you will require, and what size of mask will be best for your needs.

There are many types of masks available on the market today. The most common types are N95 respirators, P3 respirators, and P2 respirators.

N95 masks protect against certain airborne particles such as dusts, fumes, smoke and mists. They can also be used to protect against bacteria or viruses that may be present in these substances. They do not offer protection from gases or vapors such as chlorine gas or ammonia gas. These types of gases can cause irritation to the eyes and nose and lead to serious short-term or long-term health consequences.Workers’ Exposure Limits for Chlorine GasThe American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has established set limits for the amount of time that a worker can safely be exposed to chlorine gas.

To remove gases, vapours or odours, you require a filter that contains carbon.

What are the Different Types of Face Masks?

keywords: professional respirators, consumer respirators, disposable respirators

There are many different types of face masks that are used for different purposes. There are professional respirators, consumer respirators, and disposable respirators. All three have their own pros and cons.

Professional respirators are typically made of a sturdy material such as PVC or rubber. They have a filter on them that is designed to protect the wearer from certain hazards such as dust or fumes. The filters can be changed out when they become dirty which helps to keep the mask in good condition for longer periods of time. These masks can be expensive but they provide the best protection against hazardous substances.

Consumer respirators are not designed to protect against hazardous substances but instead they are meant to filter out particles in the air like pollen or dust. They do not provide much protection against anything else so it is important

Professional Full Face Respirator: Sundström SR200

If you work with potentially contaminated environments, then the SR200 full face respirator by Sundström is made for you. It protects against particles, mould, fumes and gases. The product also has a higher protection value than your average half mask.

The eyes can be an avenue of toxic exposure, thus a full face respirator is required.

The various filters that can be attached to the respirator. These can be P3 particle filters. A1 gas vapour filters are used for toxic vapours, gases or even VOC and mould VOCs.

Sundström filters can cost as much as $630

Professional/Consumer Half-Face Respirator: 3M

If you work with heavy-duty material then the SR200 full face respirator by Sundström is made for you. It protects against particles, fumes and gases. The product also has a higher protection value than your average half mask.

Any 6000 or 7000 series 3M half face respirators are a good choice, provided they are a good fit for your face.

The 3M 6211 half face respirator is probably a good start. You need to pair this up with a P100 filter. It uses a bayonet style attachment and will fit any of the 6000 or 7000 series 3M respirators. Always contact the manufacturer to confirm the compatibility.

With current Amazon Prime deals in 2022, the cost of the half-face respirator can be as cheap as AUD$35 and the P100 filters can be $66. Total cost would be approximately $101.

The P100 filter is a distinct pink filter and incorporates a P2/P3 filter and gas/vapour filter.

Consumer Full Face Respirator

The cheapest full face respirator available is a respirator similar to the 3M system and has the same bayonet system as 3M. This makes it quite useful to leverage the best of both worlds. A full face respirator with a professional grade P100 filter for under $150 will provide the best overall protection and is suitable for mould/mold sensitive clients looking for a great and cheap alternative.

Sizing

Most common size available is medium. If you have a narrower face or a wider or larger face, then you may need to change the size when ordering. Also check with the reseller if there are refund or returns policies that allows you to replace the respirator with the appropriate size.

Other PPE You Should Use

Conclusion

For the best protection from particulates and mould spores, as well as odours, gases and vapours, opting for a Consumer full face respirator with a 3M P100 filter is the most suitable solution that is cost effective.