ReviewACS nano2021
Review of the Breathability and Filtration Efficiency of Common Household Materials for Face Masks.
Review in ACS nano, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 117 citations in OpenAlex.
- A Review of Filtration Performance of Protective Masks.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Impact of community masking on COVID-19: A cluster-randomized trial in Bangladesh.Science (New York, N.Y.) · 2022Trial
- Roll-To-Roll Coated Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)-Fabric-Based Filters for Particulate Matter Filtration and Chemical Warfare Agent Degradation.ACS applied materials & interfaces · 2026Article
- Smart Face Masks as Wearable Respiratory Sensors: A Review of Sensor Technologies, Materials, and Future Directions.Advanced healthcare materials · 2026Review
- Wearable technology for athletes: material innovations, performance monitoring, and emerging paradigms.Mikrochimica acta · 2026Review
- An Efficient Strategy to Boost the Removal Efficiency for Submicron Particles and VOCs of Polypropylene in the Complex Flue Gas.ACS omega · 2025Article
- Effect of Prolonged Use of Different Facemasks on Their Physical Performance and Physiological Impact on the Wearer.Safety and health at work · 2025Article
- Article
- Reevaluating Mask Effectiveness: Insights From Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Trials.Cureus · 2024Review
- Evaluation of the penetration capacity of bacteria through layers of different face mask types and wearing conditions.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- A smart mask for exhaled breath condensate harvesting and analysis.Science (New York, N.Y.) · 2024Article
- Riboflavin based setup as an alternative method for a preliminary screening of face mask filtration efficiency.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Single-Layer and Double-Layer Filtration Materials Based on Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Co-hexafluoropropylene Nanofibers Coated on Melamine Microfibers.ACS applied nano materials · 2023Article
- Attaching protein-adsorbing silica particles to the surface of cotton substrates for bioaerosol capture including SARS-CoV-2.Nature communications · 2023Article
- A novel investigations on medical and non-medical mask performance with influence of marine waste microplastics (polypropylene).Marine pollution bulletin · 2023Article
- Electrospun nanofibers for medical face mask with protection capabilities against viruses: State of the art and perspective for industrial scale-up.Applied materials today · 2023Review
- The effect of activity and face masks on exhaled particles in children.Pediatric investigation · 2023Article
- Advanced and Smart Textiles during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Issues, Challenges, and Innovations.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- IL-6 at the center of cytokine storm: Circulating inflammation mediators as biomarkers in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.Journal of clinical laboratory analysis · 2023Article
- A Comparison of the Effect of Facemasks on Perceived Breathability and Air Quality during Daily Activities and Indoor Exercises.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control have recommended universal face masking by the general public to slow the spread of COVID-19. A number of recent studies have evaluated the filtration efficiency and pressure differential (an indicator of breathability) of various, widely available materials that the general public can use to make face masks at home. In this review, we summarize those studies to provide guidance for both the public to select the best materials for face masks and for future researchers to rigorously evaluate and report on mask material testing. Of the tested fabric materials and material combinations with adequate breathability, most single and multilayer combinations had a filtration efficiency of <30%. Most studies evaluating commonly available mask materials did not follow standard methods that would facilitate comparison across studies, and materials were often described with too few details to allow consumers to purchase equivalent materials to make their own masks. To improve the usability of future study results, researchers should use standard methods and report material characteristics in detail.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.