Effect of Skin Protectants on the Total Inward Leakage of N95 Respirators: Testing with an Advanced Static Headform
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic introduced considerable challenges for respiratory protection of different population groups. Disposable medical masks and NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are typically their only defense against the virus. At the same time, continuous wearing...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2022-05-01
|
| Series: | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.220175 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1825197648618979328 |
|---|---|
| author | Xinyi Niu Sergey A. Grinshpun Michael Yermakov Roman Jandarov Iliya Rivkin |
| author_facet | Xinyi Niu Sergey A. Grinshpun Michael Yermakov Roman Jandarov Iliya Rivkin |
| author_sort | Xinyi Niu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic introduced considerable challenges for respiratory protection of different population groups. Disposable medical masks and NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are typically their only defense against the virus. At the same time, continuous wearing of these devices, especially some N95 FFR models cause damage to the facial skin, such as skin irritation, swelling, and scaling. Skin protectants are becoming increasingly popular and effective in providing a protective barrier for the skin that reduces direct contact between a wearer’s face and respirator. Recent pilot studies involving human subjects have examined the effect of skin protectants on the performance of respirators/masks through fit testing, but their findings are heavily impacted by between-subject variability. This investigation deployed a standardized protocol that utilized the NIOSH advanced static manikin headform connected to a Breathing Recording and Simulation System (BRSS), producing a predetermined breathing pattern. The effect of skin protectants on the total inward leakage (TIL) was evaluated for three N95 FFR models, five different skin protectants, and two breathing flow rates. The aerosol particle concentrations inside and outside the respirator were measured with NaCl serving as the challenge aerosol. The TIL was shown to be significantly affected by the interaction of the skin protectant type, breathing flow rate and FFR models. The data suggest that different skin protectants may influence the performance of disposable N95 FFRs in different ways - by either increasing or decreasing the TIL value relative to one with no skin protectants applied. No negative effects on the TIL was observed for either tape- or gel/cream-type protectants when testing with 3M 8210 or 3M 1870+ FFRs; however, the use of skin protectants of either group with the AOSafety 1050 FFR may compromise its performance as quantified by the TIL. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9c8011f3f9814b02983b426330ad9b11 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1680-8584 2071-1409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-9c8011f3f9814b02983b426330ad9b112025-02-09T12:17:33ZengSpringerAerosol and Air Quality Research1680-85842071-14092022-05-012271810.4209/aaqr.220175Effect of Skin Protectants on the Total Inward Leakage of N95 Respirators: Testing with an Advanced Static HeadformXinyi Niu0Sergey A. Grinshpun1Michael Yermakov2Roman Jandarov3Iliya Rivkin4Center for Health-Related Aerosol Studies, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of CincinnatiCenter for Health-Related Aerosol Studies, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of CincinnatiCenter for Health-Related Aerosol Studies, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of CincinnatiCenter for Health-Related Aerosol Studies, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of CincinnatiCenter for Health-Related Aerosol Studies, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of CincinnatiAbstract The COVID-19 pandemic introduced considerable challenges for respiratory protection of different population groups. Disposable medical masks and NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are typically their only defense against the virus. At the same time, continuous wearing of these devices, especially some N95 FFR models cause damage to the facial skin, such as skin irritation, swelling, and scaling. Skin protectants are becoming increasingly popular and effective in providing a protective barrier for the skin that reduces direct contact between a wearer’s face and respirator. Recent pilot studies involving human subjects have examined the effect of skin protectants on the performance of respirators/masks through fit testing, but their findings are heavily impacted by between-subject variability. This investigation deployed a standardized protocol that utilized the NIOSH advanced static manikin headform connected to a Breathing Recording and Simulation System (BRSS), producing a predetermined breathing pattern. The effect of skin protectants on the total inward leakage (TIL) was evaluated for three N95 FFR models, five different skin protectants, and two breathing flow rates. The aerosol particle concentrations inside and outside the respirator were measured with NaCl serving as the challenge aerosol. The TIL was shown to be significantly affected by the interaction of the skin protectant type, breathing flow rate and FFR models. The data suggest that different skin protectants may influence the performance of disposable N95 FFRs in different ways - by either increasing or decreasing the TIL value relative to one with no skin protectants applied. No negative effects on the TIL was observed for either tape- or gel/cream-type protectants when testing with 3M 8210 or 3M 1870+ FFRs; however, the use of skin protectants of either group with the AOSafety 1050 FFR may compromise its performance as quantified by the TIL.https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.220175N95 respiratorSkin protectantTotal inward leakage (TIL)ManikinBreathing simul ator |
| spellingShingle | Xinyi Niu Sergey A. Grinshpun Michael Yermakov Roman Jandarov Iliya Rivkin Effect of Skin Protectants on the Total Inward Leakage of N95 Respirators: Testing with an Advanced Static Headform Aerosol and Air Quality Research N95 respirator Skin protectant Total inward leakage (TIL) Manikin Breathing simul ator |
| title | Effect of Skin Protectants on the Total Inward Leakage of N95 Respirators: Testing with an Advanced Static Headform |
| title_full | Effect of Skin Protectants on the Total Inward Leakage of N95 Respirators: Testing with an Advanced Static Headform |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Skin Protectants on the Total Inward Leakage of N95 Respirators: Testing with an Advanced Static Headform |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Skin Protectants on the Total Inward Leakage of N95 Respirators: Testing with an Advanced Static Headform |
| title_short | Effect of Skin Protectants on the Total Inward Leakage of N95 Respirators: Testing with an Advanced Static Headform |
| title_sort | effect of skin protectants on the total inward leakage of n95 respirators testing with an advanced static headform |
| topic | N95 respirator Skin protectant Total inward leakage (TIL) Manikin Breathing simul ator |
| url | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.220175 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xinyiniu effectofskinprotectantsonthetotalinwardleakageofn95respiratorstestingwithanadvancedstaticheadform AT sergeyagrinshpun effectofskinprotectantsonthetotalinwardleakageofn95respiratorstestingwithanadvancedstaticheadform AT michaelyermakov effectofskinprotectantsonthetotalinwardleakageofn95respiratorstestingwithanadvancedstaticheadform AT romanjandarov effectofskinprotectantsonthetotalinwardleakageofn95respiratorstestingwithanadvancedstaticheadform AT iliyarivkin effectofskinprotectantsonthetotalinwardleakageofn95respiratorstestingwithanadvancedstaticheadform |