Filter efficiency and facial fit of surgical masks

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brosseau LM
• Description:
  Dr. Brosseau discussed the regulation of filter efficiency and fit in the US. The tests used by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for measuring filtering efficiency are more stringent than those used by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA only regulates the sale and marketing of masks, and in doing so does not require evaluation of fit. Brosseau described the methods and results of her own study to measure filter efficiency and facial fit for representative surgical masks. The efficiency of surgical masks varies widely, she found, and such masks do not pass even minimum requirements for respirator fit. Even when equipped with relatively efficient filters, they allow 10-40% leakage around the faceplate. Her conclusions, supported by the results of other studies she cited, are that: 1.) Surgical masks should not be considered respiratory protective devices. 2.) The FDA should consider a more robust regulatory approach, including the evaluation of fit. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Bacteria Biological Factors Dust Environmental Monitoring Hazardous Substances Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety

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• Keywords:
  Airborne-particles Bacterial-dusts Biohazards Biological-effects Biological-factors Biological-monitoring Biological-systems Biomedical-engineering Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Exposure-methods Filter-materials Filters Occupational-exposure Occupational-hazards Particle-aerodynamics Particle-counters Particulates Personal-protection Personal-protective-equipment Physical-properties Protective-equipment Quantitative-analysis Respiratory-protection Statistical-analysis Toxic-effects Toxic-materials Toxic-vapors

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• Publisher:
  Public Health Agency of Canada
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Presentation
• Place as Subject:
  Minnesota ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  8-9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20037692
• Citation:
  Scientific Working Meeting on Occupational Influenza Prevention and Control in Health Care Settings, October 26-27, 2006, Mississauga, Ontario. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Public Health Agency of Canada, 2007 Feb; :8-9
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Performing Organization:
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Scientific Working Meeting on Occupational Influenza Prevention and Control in Health Care Settings, October 26-27, 2006, Mississauga, Ontario
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ced57d216d53c827839d331d857c1fa38ca1e5a64ea1bddff42177f23785415fa8d721cbddbee95eb6fb4c63f76517564a0bd2526b7ddec65eb8a4e2d59f8781
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/191687/cdc_191687_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 325.31 KB ]