Performance of different classes of filtering facepiece respirators toward nanoparticles
ORCID
Clothilde Brochot : 0000-0002-2431-5053
Type de document
Études primaires
Année de publication
2025
Langue
Anglais
Titre de la revue
Journal of the International Society for Respiratory Protection
Première page
22
Dernière page
34
Résumé
Introduction: In the case of exposure to harmful substances and the use of a filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) to protect workers, it is important to know the performance of commercial FFR. In previous studies, the authors investigated a series of parameters on the effectiveness of a standard N95 FFR: particle diameter, airflow rate intensity, breathing simulation, time of use, relative humidity. It remains uncertain whether previous results can be extrapolated to all commercial FFRs.
Objective: To determine whether previous conclusions apply to other FFRs, an expanded selection of models was evaluated in this study. The initial penetrations are then measured in order to compare the penetrations amongst the different FFRs.
Methods: To do so, an experimental setup generates NaCl nanoparticles before introducing them into a test chamber containing the FFR. A constant flow of 85 L/min is drawn through the FFR and particle concentration is measured upstream and downstream of the FFR with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer. This setup allows penetration to be measured as a function of the particle diameter from 10 to 200 nm. Pressure drop was also measured across the FFR.
Results: The benchmark established in this study confirms that penetration measurements align with previously reported values. All tested FFRs exhibit comparable trends: the most penetrating particle size (MPPS) remains between 30 and 50 nanometers, with penetration decreasing for particles smaller or larger than this range.
Conclusion: The results obtained thus indicate that the outcome achieved previously for the standard N95 FFRs can be extrapolated to the other FFRs presented here.
Hyperlien
https://www.isrp.com/~documents/the-isrp-journal/journal-public-abstracts/performance-of-different-classes-of-filtering-facepiece-respirators-toward-nanoparticles-vol-42-no-2-2025?layout=file
Mots-clés
Équipement de protection respiratoire, Respirator, Chlorure de sodium, Sodium chloride, CAS 7647145, Nanoparticule, Nanoparticle, Efficacité de filtration, Filtration efficiency
Numéro de projet IRSST
2024-0027
Citation recommandée
Brochot, C. et Bahloul, A. (2025). Performance of different classes for filtering facepiece respirators toward nanoparticles. Journal of the International Society for Respiratory Protection, 42(2), 22-34. https://www.isrp.com/~documents/the-isrp-journal/journal-public-abstracts/performance-of-different-classes-of-filtering-facepiece-respirators-toward-nanoparticles-vol-42-no-2-2025?layout=file