![]() ![]() Many filters have the same round shape and size that you probably already know. This can make logistics straightforward, as you’ll see in the Storage & Shelf Life section below. ![]() Any worthwhile gas mask filter will have these details laid out in the included documentation. Gas masks filters are easy to carry, use and store, with a shelf life that can stretch into decades, and depending on the specific filter, they can provide up to 40 or more hours of practical protection from airborne contaminants and toxins. Fortunately, it couldn’t be any easier to put one to use. To produce a modern gas mask filter takes unprecedented skill and expertise. Like most CBRN filters on the market today, take protection to an even higher level, with safeguards against things like organic substances with low boiling points, including mercury, COx, NOx and radioactive metal iodide. Modern protective gas masks filters, on the other hand, are truly a technological marvel. The history of gas masks and how gas masks filters became practically universal is something we've already covered in our Gas Mask Buyer's Guide, so we won't delve into that here. We’ve assembled all the research you need to make an informed decision and give your family the protection they might need. So, we’re going to look at everything you need to know about protective gas masks filters: from their practical function and specifications to the logistics of storing them and, should the need arise, putting them to potentially life-saving use. ![]() That’s a mistake that can cost you time and money…or something even more important. These complicated factors are often overlooked by new and even experienced buyers. Creating a working gas mask filter takes specialized knowledge of how to impregnate carbon with a key balance of metal salts and then treating the blend with chemicals to pass strict testing requirements. The craftsmanship of their construction matters just as much as the science behind their effectiveness. 3M recommends replacing both pancake and cartridge filters within six months of opening their packages (PDF), or, in environments where oil aerosols are present, after only 40 hours of total use or 30 days after the first use, whichever comes first.A single filter can protect you from all of the contamination from a nuclear meltdown for forty full hours, while another filter could help you safely navigate the smoky environment of a house fire to reach safety.īut each gas mask filter has its limitations…Įach filter has a shelf life, classification, specs and price. ![]() The cartridges are more expensive and weigh far more-8.6 ounces per pair on our scale-but they’re also sturdier, and they might be the better choice if you’ll be doing strenuous physical work, such as a kitchen demolition, while wearing your respirator. The pancake filters weigh just half an ounce per pair, and they’re our first recommendation for typical use outdoors and around the home. NIOSH approval means that, at the equivalent rating (P100 in this case), pancake-style filters, such as the 3M 2097 filter we recommend, protect you just as effectively as hard-plastic cartridge filters like the 3M 60926. And as P-designated filters, they also protect against oil-based substances in the air, such as paint fumes, as well as some caustic vapors. The “100” designation indicates that they capture 99.97% of fine particulates, such as wildfire smoke. P100-rated filters are the most widely available kind that meet that criterion. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |