Wearing an N95 Respirator Concurrently with a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator: Effect on Protection Factor

Details

• Personal Author:
  Landsittel DP ; Roberge MR ; Roberge RJ ; Vojtko MR ; Vojtko RJ
• Description:
  OBJECTIVE: To determine if using an N95 filtering face-piece respirator concurrently with a loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) offers additional protection to the wearer. METHODS: We used a breathing mannequin programmed to deliver minute volumes of 25 L/min and 40 L/min. We measured the baseline protection factor of the PAPR with its motor operational and then deactivated (to simulate mechanical or battery failure). We tested 3 replicates of 3 different N95 models. We glued each N95 to the breathing mannequin and obtained a minimum protection factor of 100 at 25 L/min. We then placed the PAPR on the mannequin and took protection factor measurements with the N95-plus-PAPR combination, at 25 L/min and 40 L/min, with the PAPR operational and then deactivated. RESULTS: The N95 significantly increased the PAPR's protection factor, even with the PAPR deactivated. The effect was multiplicative, not merely additive. CONCLUSIONS: An N95 decreases the concentration of airborne particles inspired by the wearer of a PAPR. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety
• Keywords:
  Air-purifying-respirators Author Keywords: N95 Personal-protection Personal-protective-equipment Powered Air-purifying Respirator Protection Factor Respirator Respirators Respiratory-protection Respiratory-protective-equipment
• ISSN:
  0020-1324
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  53
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20034732
• Citation:
  Respir Care 2008 Dec; 53(12):1685-1690
• Contact Point Address:
  National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, PO Box 18070, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh PA 15236
• Email:
  dtn0@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2009
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Respiratory Care
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:26802d406f91d8ded4e2f0f1e65113809a03a5ff1d9a8ab6a1621229b027f97064939ce799e06096ec68d18dfe02cf222389bd5a1781d9e9fdac665a9ff2ef99
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/186831/cdc_186831_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.08 MB ]