ArticlePloS one2017
Filter quality of electret masks in filtering 14.6-594 nm aerosol particles: Effects of five decontamination methods.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
54 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 128 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mask decontamination methods (model N95) for respiratory protection: a rapid review.Systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Safety in the practice of decontaminating filtering facepiece respirators: A systematic review.American journal of infection control · 2021Pooled it
- Decontamination and reuse of surgical masks and N95 filtering facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.Infection control and hospital epidemiology · 2021Pooled it
- Microwave- and heat-based decontamination of N95 filtering facepiece respirators: a systematic review.The Journal of hospital infection · 2020Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of disinfectants for decontamination of N95 and SN95 filtering facepiece respirators: a systematic review.The Journal of hospital infection · 2020Pooled it
- Decontamination interventions for the reuse of surgical mask personal protective equipment: a systematic review.The Journal of hospital infection · 2020Pooled it
- Exploring options for reprocessing of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators (N95-FFRs) amidst COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.PloS one · 2020Pooled it
- Article
- Reusable Personal Protective Equipment Viewed Through the Lens of Sustainability.International dental journal · 2024Review
- Article
- Mask disinfection using atmospheric pressure cold plasma.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2022Article
- Impact of washing parameters on bacterial filtration efficiency and breathability of community and medical facemasks.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Face masks to fight against COVID-19 pandemics: A comprehensive review of materials, design, technology and product development.Journal of industrial textiles · 2022Review
- Unfolding the effects of decontamination treatments on the structural and functional integrity of N95 respirators via numerical simulations.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Liquid-Immersion Reprocessing Effects on Filtration Efficiency of 'Single-Use' Commercial Medical Face Masks.Annals of work exposures and health · 2022Article
- Reuse of medical face masks in domestic and community settings without sacrificing safety: Ecological and economical lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic.Chemosphere · 2022Article
- A Hybrid Reactive Multiphasic Mixture With a Compressible Fluid Solvent.Journal of biomechanical engineering · 2022Article
- Impact on the fitness of N95 masks with extended use/limited reuse and dry heat decontamination.Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research · 2022Article
- Conceptualizing a novel Hybrid Decontamination System (HDS) based on UV/HEnvironmental challenges (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2021Review
- What We Are Learning from COVID-19 for Respiratory Protection: Contemporary and Emerging Issues.Polymers · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of five decontamination methods on the filter quality (qf) of three commercially available electret masks-N95, Gauze and Spunlace nonwoven masks. Newly developed evaluation methods, the overall filter quality (qf,o) and the qf ratio were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of decontamination methods for respirators. A scanning mobility particle sizer is utilized to measure the concentration of polydispersed particles with diameter 14.6-594 nm. The penetration of particles and pressure drop (Δp) through the mask are used to determine qf and qf,o. Experimental results reveal that the most penetrating particle size (MPS) for the pre-decontaminated N95, Gauze and Spunlace masks were 118 nm, 461 nm and 279 nm, respectively, and the respective penetration rates were 2.6%, 23.2% and 70.0%. The Δp through the pretreated N95 masks was 9.2 mm H2O at the breathing flow rate of heavy-duty workers, exceeding the Δp values obtained through Gauze and Spunlace masks. Decontamination increased the sizes of the most penetrating particles, changing the qf values of all of the masks: qf fell as particle size increased because the penetration increased. Bleach increased the Δp of N95, but destroyed the Gauze mask. However, the use of an autoclave reduces the Δp values of both the N95 and the Gauze mask. Neither the rice cooker nor ethanol altered the Δp of the Gauze mask. Chemical decontamination methods reduced the qf,o values for the three electret masks. The value of qf,o for PM0.1 exceeded that for PM0.1-0.6, because particles smaller than 100 nm had lower penetration, resulting in a better qf for a given pressure drop. The values of qf,o, particularly for PM0.1, reveal that for the tested treatments and masks, physical decontamination methods are less destructive to the filter than chemical methods. Nevertheless, when purchasing new or reusing FFRs, penetration should be regarded as the priority.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.