Influence of face shields on exposures to respirable aerosol.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Jones RM ; Sleeth DK ; Woodfield MJ
• Description:
  The objective of this study was to determine the influence of face shields on the concentration of respirable aerosols in the breathing zone of the wearer. The experimental approach involved the generation of poly-dispersed respirable test dust aerosol in a low-speed wind tunnel over 15 min, with a downstream breathing mannequin. Aerosol concentrations were measured in the breathing zone of the mannequin and at an upstream location using two laser spectrophotometers that measured particle number concentration over the range 0.25-31 µm. Three face shield designs were tested (A, B, and C) and were positioned on the mannequin operated at a high and low breathing rate. Efficiency-the reduction in aerosol concentration in the breathing zone-was calculated as a function of particle size and overall, for each face shield. Face shield A, a bucket hat with flexible shield, had the highest efficiency, approximately 95%, while more traditional face shield designs had efficiency 53-78%, depending on face shield and breathing rate. Efficiency varied by particle size, but the pattern differed among face shield designs. Face shields decreased the concentration of respirable aerosols in the breathing zone when aerosols were carried perpendicular to the face. Additional research is needed to understand the impact of face shield position relative to the source. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Communicable Diseases Dust Environmental Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Infectious Diseases; Personal Protective Equipment; Wind Tunnel Face Shields; Aerosols; Exposure Levels; Risk Factors; Respiratory Function; Breathing Zone; Respirable Dust; Dusts; Particulate Dust; Particulates; Particle Size; Statistical Analysis;
• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 8 ; Utah
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  139-144
• Volume:
  19
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065087
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2022 Mar; 19(3):139-144
• Contact Point Address:
  Darrah K. Sleeth, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Email:
  Darrah.sleeth@hsc.utah.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Performing Organization:
  University of Utah
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:eff2b0b2e21ec661369134a7469adc91ca555e9bee36cb3f5f2eb186adde49c6a9c3fb3a31de6c857d530439629b3883c4b16b4bc4868fa6f033fab15dd96e61
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/249324/cdc_249324_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.32 MB ]