Face masks

[ozboz]

over the last couple of weeks ive noticed a lot of cyclists wearing face masks around this area , they are all similar in design , Im wondering if they are to guard against pollution or pollen ,

 

[Levo-Lon]

Pollen..at a guess as the hey fever sufferers are having it tough, even im getting the itchy eyes and im not a sufferer

 

[martint235]

over the last couple of weeks ive noticed a lot of cyclists wearing face masks around this area , they are all similar in design , Im wondering if they are to guard against pollution or pollen ,

I suppose they could be effective against pollen.

IIRC I saw a report a few years back that unless you were wearing a full on gas mask set up, they were actually worse for you in pollution than wearing nothing. The theory given was they didn't actually stop the particulants getting through but did make you breathe harder to draw air through it.

 

[Globalti]

It's the Western equivalent of those surgical masks worn by paranoid Japanese tourists - a waste of money.

 

[subaqua]

couple of things with "masks"

if they are not " face fitted" they are useless
the filtration level is not small enough to stop the really nasty particles
they make you breathe deeper and harder thereby pulling the nasty stuff deep into your lungs where it does most damage.

you look like a nobber wearing them

 

[vickster]

It's the Western equivalent of those surgical masks worn by paranoid Japanese tourists - a waste of money.

In Asia at least as I understood it, they are worn by people to minimise themselves passing ontheir cold or whatever rather than the other way. I guess for the same reasons surgeons wear them

Dunno why you'd wear one cycling here though

 

[martint235]

[QUOTE 4311779, member: 9609"]I don't think that is entirely true, if I do some work in a loft space where there is the rockwool fibreglass insulation stuff without a mask I will cough for the rest of the day, but any mask, even well used old ones seem to offer me excellent protection.

and the more I cover up my face the less of a nobber I look.[/QUOTE]
Different sizes of particulants though. Fibreglass is pretty big stuff, the stuff out on the street less so.

 

[ianrauk]

I tried one when I started back on the commute many years ago. More faff then they are worth. They get awfully sweaty which makes it hard to breath and as others have said, they don't filter out the smallest (worst) particles. The ones that do the most damage.

 

[Bollo]

In Asia at least as I understood it, they are worn by people to minimise themselves passing ontheir cold or whatever rather than the other way. I guess for the same reasons surgeons wear them

Dunno why you'd wear one cycling here though

I thought this was the case as well. It's considered polite if you've got the sniffles.

 

[Globalti]

I once saw a Japanese woman waiting for a flight at Damascus airport; she was part of a big group who had been doing all the attractions like Palmyra etc. She was wearing a face mask and a big sunhat and large sunglasses and sitting staring at the floor, projecting sheer misery. Before the war Syria was a fascinating, delightfully hopsitable place to visit so I wondered why she had bothered going at all.

 

[Spinney]

I once saw a Japanese woman waiting for a flight at Damascus airport; she was part of a big group who had been doing all the attractions like Palmyra etc. She was wearing a face mask and a big sunhat and large sunglasses and sitting staring at the floor, projecting sheer misery. Before the war Syria was a fascinating, delightfully hopsitable place to visit so I wondered why she had bothered going at all.

Maybe she was only miserable because she had to go home?

 

[shouldbeinbed]

It's the Western equivalent of those surgical masks worn by paranoid Japanese tourists - a waste of money.

I saw a few of those in Rome recently. Seemed absolutely OTT.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I once saw a Japanese woman waiting for a flight at Damascus airport; she was part of a big group who had been doing all the attractions like Palmyra etc. She was wearing a face mask and a big sunhat and large sunglasses and sitting staring at the floor, projecting sheer misery. Before the war Syria was a fascinating, delightfully hopsitable place to visit so I wondered why she had bothered going at all.

Piles, toothache, family bad news, tremendous sunburn, lost her money and passport????

 

[subaqua]

[QUOTE 4311779, member: 9609"]I don't think that is entirely true, if I do some work in a loft space where there is the rockwool fibreglass insulation stuff without a mask I will cough for the rest of the day, but any mask, even well used old ones seem to offer me excellent protection.

and the more I cover up my face the less of a nobber I look.[/QUOTE]
http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/faq-dust.htm

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg53.pdf table 2 is very useful .

if you beleive an old used mask offers protection good luck. I have seen the effects of exposure to pollutants. its realy not nice.

 

[subaqua]

[QUOTE 4311805, member: 9609"]very true but I was just addressing the comment on face fitting.

Is it possible with a basic face mask to filter out diesel particulates ?[/QUOTE]

if its not face fitted then stuff gets in . a bit like not shutting your window properly. some but not all gets in and some will still cause damage.