Abstract
The use of facemasks is proven to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and other biological agents that cause disease. Various forms of facemasks, made using different materials, are being used extensively, and it is important to determine their performance characteristics. The size-dependent filtration efficiency and breathing resistance of household sterilization wrap fabrics, and isolation media (American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)- and non-ASTM-rated), were measured in filter-holder- and mannequin-in-chamber-based systems, focusing on particles sizes between 20 nm and 2 μm. Double-layer MERV-14 (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values with rating 14) showed the highest filtration efficiency (94.9–73.3%) amongst household filter media, whereas ASTM-rated isolation masks showed the highest filtration efficiencies (95.6–88.7) amongst all the masks considered. Filtration efficiency of 3D-printed masks with replaceable filter media was found to depend on the degree of sealing around the media holder, which depended on the material’s compressibility. Filtration efficiencies of triple-layer combinations (95.8–85.3%) follow a profile similar to single layers but with improved filtration efficiencies.
Highlights
COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020 by World Health Organization (WHO) [1]
We report the filtration efficiencies of several accessible household filter media, such as HVAC filters, dust cleaners, sterilization wrap fabrics, and isolation media (ASTM- and non-ASTM-rated), which were tested in filter-holder- and mannequin-inchamber-based systems for single and multi-layered filter punches
The filtration efficiency profiles compare well with the sizedependent filtration efficiencies of fibrous filters reported in literature [29], with ~350 nm as the most penetrating particle size
Summary
COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020 by World Health Organization (WHO) [1] This disease is a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and it spread across the globe leading to more than one million deaths and more than 54 million confirmed cases as of 16 November, 2020 [2]. In order to limit the spread of the virus, governments across the world implemented precautionary actions such as physical distancing [15], washing hands for 20 s [16], wearing face mask in public [17,18], disinfecting surfaces, and self-isolation. N-95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) are highly recommended for the respiratory protection against airborne and viral particles for health care workers [24,25] but are limited for use by the public due to supply constraints. This information will be critical in designing and manufacturing facemasks from readily available, low-cost alternate media
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
