A dust mask is a flexible paper pad held over the nose and mouth made for protection against ''chronically'' toxic nuisance
dust
Dust is made of particle size, fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian processes, aeolian process), Types of volcan ...
s, like from occupational exposure to plant dusts like
hay.
They are not intended to provide protection from most airborne hazards. The European
FFP1 mask, the lowest-grade standard available in the jurisdiction, is an example of a dust mask, being only certified to remove ~80% of dusts and mists.
Dust masks are used in environments with
dusts encountered during construction or
cleaning
Cleaning is the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment. Cleaning is often performed for beauty, aesthetic, hygiene, hygienic, Function (engineering), function ...
activities, biological hazards from
farming
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
,
or
sweeping. A dust mask can also be worn in environments with
allergens
An allergen is an otherwise harmless substance that triggers an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals by stimulating an immune response.
In technical terms, an allergen is an antigen that is capable of stimulating a type-I hypersensitivi ...
such as tree and grass
pollen
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm ...
.
Form
Dust masks, referred to in academic literature as ND, or "nuisance dust" respirators, are masks with one strap, and are designed to filter dusts in situations where risk of contracting an occupational disease, especially in the lungs, is unlikely. As of 1992, dust masks are not approved by
NIOSH
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, ) is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury, illness, disability, and death. It ...
, and are not allowed to be used in hazardous environments, where NIOSH-approved respirators are required. Despite these requirements restricting the use of dust masks, use of dust masks in certain industries was noted.
When tested, the dust mask performed worse than a
surgical mask
A surgical mask, also known by other names such as a medical face mask or procedure mask, is a personal protective equipment used by healthcare professionals that serves as a mechanical barrier that interferes with direct airflow in and out of r ...
in terms filtration efficiency of various-sized particles, but performed the best in terms of airflow. Filtration efficiency of both surgical and dust masks was considerably worse than the tested NIOSH-approved
DM,
DFM, and
HEPA respirators of the era.
Use
A notable occupational use of dust masks is in
farming
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
, where dust masks are used to avoid the effects of
farmer's lung, a disease caused by the inhalation of dusts from agricultural products.
The toxicity mainly comes from allergy to mold in the dust, which can lead to lung damage due to the immune response, as opposed to an inherent toxicity in the dust itself.
In a study following treating Farmer's lung with dust masks, the dust mask selected for the study was only tested to a filtration standard of 99.9% filtration of dusts greater than 1 micron (1000 nm).
Regulation
Europe has a standard for masks whose filtration efficiency goes at or below 90%:
* The FFP1 standard allows up to 22% inward leakage and filtration efficiency of at least 80%.
Some Asian countries have regulations for dust-grade masks intended for everyday civilian use as opposed to occupational use. These include:
* China
GB/T 32610:2016 – masks for daily protection
* South Korea,
KF80
Dust masks have been certified by the
United States Bureau of Mines
The United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was the primary Federal government of the United States, United States government agency in the 20th century that conducted scientific research and disseminated information on the extraction, processing ...
since the 1930s,
until being phased out after the passage of
42 CFR 84.
* D or
DM respirators, standing for 'Dust' and 'Dust/Mist' approval respectively, ''without'' approval for 'Fumes,'
asbestos
Asbestos ( ) is a group of naturally occurring, Toxicity, toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous Crystal habit, crystals, each fibre (particulate with length su ...
, radionuclides, or any certified (
30 CFR) HEPA filtration.
However, as of 1992, dust masks are not approved by NIOSH.
See also
*
Mechanical filter (respirator)
Mechanical filters, a part of particulate respirators, are a class of Air filter, filter for air-purifying respirators that mechanically stops particulates from reaching the wearer's nose and mouth. They come in multiple physical forms.
Mechani ...
*
Nose filter
References
External links
*
{{Breathing apparatus, industrial, state=expanded
Functional masks
Personal protective equipment