mccThat… seems… bad
Is it safe to go outdoors right now if I wear my N95?
Karen@mcc if it's wildfire smoke, i believe you want things in the P category (p95, p99, etc) iirc
Zimmie@karen @mcc The big difference is N filters are for non-oily particles, while P filters are for either oily or non-oily particles. My memory is wildfire smoke has enough of an oily component that a P filter is best, but most of the ash (the part which turns corrosive when it hits your mucus membranes) should be non-oily, so an N is still much better than nothing.
clarity flowers@mcc iirc when it comes to smoke you really want an N99 to actually be safe, so I'd still try to avoid the trip if possible, but the N95 will -help- if going outside is necesssary
@mcc bummer
@clarity @karen Where would I even get n99 or pXX masks? The *only* masks I wear are 3M Auras because they have a foam nosebridge feature no one else has and this is the *only* thing I've found that keeps my glasses from fogging up until I'm blinded (a wire is not enough). Nut I think those come in N95 only.
@mcc this is what the say about international shipping, so it seems like it might be a little obnoxious.
It seems like "high quality" and "cute" are mutually exclusive properties in respirators, which is a real bummer.
Thomas B. Rücker@mcc @clarity @karen N99 and any P rating are generally respirator filters rather than disposable masks. N is for non-oily particles, and P is for oily or non-oily. For 3M respirators which take replaceable filters, P100 filters are common and pretty cheap. I’m a fan of their 7093 (for the 6000-series respirators) and D9093 (for Secure Click respirators, a newer design).
@mcc @clarity @karen Yes, you would only buy the respirator body once, then you use consumable filters. The filter cartridges I mentioned are densely pleated, so they flow pretty well and last a long time.
Yes, P100 is a stricter filtration standard than N95 or N99. N95 removes 95% of 0.3 micron particles. N99 removes 99%. P3 R removes 99.95%. P100 removes 99.97%. Filters good enough to meet it may be more expensive than N95 or N99, but P100 is also widely considered the minimum acceptable standard for occupational use, so they’re made in bulk.
Respirator filters are also available with additional layers, like activated charcoal to handle “nuisance-level organic vapors” (unpleasant smells, but not fumes at levels which could risk health).
viq@bob_zim @mcc @clarity @karen FWIW, I have 3M 7500 and GVS Elipse. 7500 is softer on face and easier to put on and take off. GVS is easier to put away, a bit harder to breathe in, but easier to breathe out, which I prefer. In both I have P100/FFP3 filters.
The "plastic" part you just wear and every once in a while clean, possibly change straps that wear out. And filters you replace as necessary.
The "plastic" part you just wear and every once in a while clean, possibly change straps that wear out. And filters you replace as necessary.
@viq @mcc @clarity @karen Yeah, when COVID started, I went with a 6200 instead of the 7500 so I could add a source control filter. 3M’s Secure Click line has a “speaking diaphragm” which really does make a big difference in how well others can understand you when you speak.
I haven’t personally used a GVS Elipse, but I hear it’s nice.
@bob_zim @mcc @clarity @karen I know 7500 is considerably softer than 6200. GVS Elipse is harder than 7500, but I don't know how it compares to 6200.
3M go low and to the sides, offering mostly unobstructed view along your nose, but blocking view and some movement with where the filters are. Elipse doesn't get in the way of tilting your head down and moving it around, but you do have a "beak" to look around for stuff immediately in front of you and down.
3M go low and to the sides, offering mostly unobstructed view along your nose, but blocking view and some movement with where the filters are. Elipse doesn't get in the way of tilting your head down and moving it around, but you do have a "beak" to look around for stuff immediately in front of you and down.
@bob_zim @mcc @clarity @karen and, FWIW, just to put it out there: to my knowledge, for non-industrial uses, the advice for when to change filters is: when it becomes hard to breathe through them, or they're filthy. As far as particulate matter goes, their effectiveness *increases* with time.
Forest fire smoke, I'd have to look up whether adding a layer for absorbing additional stuff is useful, and how to work with those.
Forest fire smoke, I'd have to look up whether adding a layer for absorbing additional stuff is useful, and how to work with those.
@viq @mcc @clarity @karen My memory is wildfire smoke is about 20:80 oily:non, with most of the corrosive ash in the non-oily component. An N95 filter is definitely loads better than nothing, a P filter is better.
The additional filter layers don’t matter for wildfires, they can just be a nice option for everyday use. Especially when the road outside is being resurfaced, for example.
@mcc @clarity @karen
SO recommends Airinum, "Urban air mask", which is apparently KN95 rated/N99. It's currently 40Eur on their site plus shipping, which is a bit much even with included extra filters, but SO says they saw it for much cheaper on ie ebay uk so there might be an alternative for you too, potentially.
Also they have never caight covid, even after travelling internationally a few times, so it seems to work 😅
SO recommends Airinum, "Urban air mask", which is apparently KN95 rated/N99. It's currently 40Eur on their site plus shipping, which is a bit much even with included extra filters, but SO says they saw it for much cheaper on ie ebay uk so there might be an alternative for you too, potentially.
Also they have never caight covid, even after travelling internationally a few times, so it seems to work 😅
@viq Thank you. I think I'm gonna try to go for things I can buy domestically in Canada so that refills don't become a stress point…
@mcc https://shop.evidencebased.ca/ may be of interest to you.
Griff FerrellI don't know, but if I had a magic eight ball, I would keep asking until it said "signs point to no"
commonst
Joe@mcc As a veteran of California wildfires, yes. The main risk is particulates, and an N95 will keep them out of your lungs. But if it's that bad you're going to have eye irritation.
No fires here, but it's early. Our fire season is at its worst at end of summer and in the fall.
@not2b @mcc Possibly noteworthy for the future: dealing with eye irritation is a lot easier than lung irritation. Your eyes don’t suck more of the irritant into them constantly. Some goggles with filtered ventilation holes help a lot.
Military protective goggles seem kind of excessive, but they generally have enough ventilation to reduce fogging, enough filtration to keep ash out, and most designs take inserts for corrective lenses.
superpositionedkat@mcc Outdoors (safe) (SCP classification)
Howard Chu @ Symas@mcc N95 will prob keep ash out of your lungs. But if there's any man-made constructs also burning in the wildfires, you also have to worry about toxic fumes.
Aside: would be good to have an air purifier with HEPA filter indoors, as well.
@hyc I'm running the air purifier I have indoors. i am trying to figure out if the purifiers i have are enough or if i also need to get my CR box out of storage.
doephin
Ken Butler@mcc I went out earlier (about 10 minute walk each way) with a mask on, and my eyes got vaguely irritated is all.
(edit) having said that, it was only Moderate Risk before I went out, so it may be worse now.
D C Ross@mcc The air quality readings are bad mostly because of high PM2.5 counts. A properly fitting N95 will filter out the majority of that so it's _safer_, but it's still recommended not to go outside unless you need to.
An N95 won't help as much with any particles smaller than 0.3 microns so it will block most of the smoke which is in the 2.5 micron range but won't protect your eyes and won't stop ozone, which is also high today.
I'm staying indoors when I can.
I stand by my snarky answer, about the magic eight ball. My Dad's cousin was a smoke jumper (the guys that parachute into a remote forest fire) and he ended having bad problems with his lungs. He died in his 50s from smoke exposure...granted that is the extreme end of the spectrum. Keep exposure to a minimum. If you don't have to go out, don't
RowinSpeez@mcc largely yeah, it'll
protect you from exposure to a good degree. I wouldn't have a picnic or anything but you won't be smoking 10 packs as you get from A to B.
I did the same in Ottawa a few years ago when it was horrific air quality from fires.
Chagrins
crzwdjk ✅ @mcc If you can't smell it with the mask but can without then you're probably fine with the mask.
Beej@mcc To purchase, respirators or masks, have you looked at Princess Auto?
They’re Canadian and have a full 100% money-back warranty on anything you buy. So if you buy something and it doesn’t work out, you can bring it back and just say it didn’t work for you.
(They also have all sorts of tools and a huge surplus dept. I don’t work for them - I’m just a big fan.)