Light particle mask may be helpful for desert dust and smoke

A few months ago I did a weekend desert trip with night winds of about 20-25mph. The wind was carrying a very find dust that covered every exposed surface. For a few days after everyone in the group suffered inflamed sinuses and a cough, clearing out all that dust, even though most were breathing through a bandana, buff or balaclava.

This got me wondering if a disposable light particle mask, like a 3M N99 Model 9332, which hardly weighs anything and is very inexpensive, might be a useful item, by itself or under a buff or bandana, for trips in very dry dusty areas, or for trips downwind of distant forest fires. These have an exhale valve to reduce heat buildup. Though they are rated for one-time use they can in practice be used multiple times so long as the filter material doesn’t become too clogged and resistant to inhalation.

A quick scan of the literature in pubmed.com shows N95 masks offer very good protection against dust and smoke particulates. A bandana won’t do much. A test of cloth particulate masks found them “only marginally beneficial.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27531371

It’s a good idea to use a particle mask in dusty desert conditions because some dust in southwestern deserts like the Mojave contains asbestos!

It’s problem in the eastern part of the Las Vegas valley and road building there requires copious spraying of the disturbed areas and also that heavy equipment operators and other workers wear masks.

I sweat heavily and the cheapo dust masks get soaked with sweat quickly..  When soaked with sweat I can’t breath through them and they wilt (i.e. lose their shape).

When working hard I don’t think I’ve had one last more than an hour.

Does anyone have any idea how surgical masks compare to these 3M masks in filtering ability?  I have access to TONS of surgical masks, in 3 different styles.

When I hiked the Timberline Trail 2 years ago, I could see forest fires starting in eastern Oregon, and the lasts day out there was a definite haze and the beginning of smoky odor.  I was hiking out, but I felt for the folks coming up on the PCT.  Hiking in smoky conditions seems to be more and more a frequent part of hiking the western long trails.

Diane it would depend on the rating of the surgical mask. Just check the box. You want a rating of at least N95 (N99 is a bit higher rated). And you definitely want an exhale valve which will make breathing easier, keep the filter drier and keep you cooler if the weather is warmer.

Daryl did you use one with an exhale valve and were the temps hot? During that recent trip I would have only used it at night when temps were cold and winds were high. Wind (and dust) were low during the day.

Got the idea from carrying an N99 mask when traveling in cities with higher air pollution. Weighs almost nothing and it’s a real life saver.

Diane,

An N95 isn’t actually a surgical mask.  It’s a respirator.   Surgical masks are designed primarily for filtration of exhalation (to protect the patient from infection) whereas respirators filter inhalation (and require proper fitting to do so).  A surgical mask might provide some protection against smoke but that isn’t what the mask is intended to do.

I learned this the hard way.  During a hospital rotation in Tampa, I picked up Tuberculosis Infection.  As a result, I had to take a class on TB (I’m not sure if that was an Army requirement or CDC/OSHA).  The class taught me about respirators and surgical masks.  Surprisingly, few healthcare practitioners seem to be aware that surgical masks are meant to protect the patient rather than the practitioner.  When I was exposed to TB, the hospital gave me a surgical mask to wear.  I doubt they knew that was insufficient.

Kris

Ouch on picking up the TB. Hope it was quickly resolved. It’s true standard surgical masks don’t offer fine particle filtration, but there are N99 Surgical Masks. (I was an ER volunteer in HS in a hospital with so many gunshot victims it’s a training ground for army doctors before deploying to combat areas overseas).

If conditions warrant such measures it must be better to lay low and not exert ones self.

As a contractor/cabinetmaker/carpenter, I have over the years used a LOT of this type of mask. My favorite is the Moldex 2300 N95 mask with exhalation valve. I like the fit and the exhalation valve keeps it significantly cooler than other masks I’ve used. I hot weather it’s no picnic but they really work. I am particularly sensitive to cedar sawdust, and with one of these on I can bathe in the stuff and  be okay.

As to durability, I tend to use mine until the rubber bands break, which usually means at least several days of all-day use.

Ethan,

The cheapo masks that wetted out and wilted had no exhaust valve.

I sweat heavily when working even in cool/cold weather.  Hot weather just makes it worse.