#3. Anti-Pollution Mask & Its Types
We wear an anti-pollution mask to protect from hazardous air pollutants. This mask has to be worn very tightly to filter the unwanted particulate matters & harmful gases. Basically, there are three main categories of mask i.e. surgical/disposable, cloth mask and respirator. A. Surgical/Medical Mask: It is a disposable mask that lasts only few hours. Specially, healthcare professionals use it in hospital and clinic for a day. This is a very thin and loose-fitting mask.
B. Cloth Mask: It is made from a variety of fabrics with multi-layers. This mask is reusable & washable. In terms of filtration efficiency, it is better than surgical mask as it has layers that can block the harmful particles. But, it has to be used very carefully. It needs regular wash and cleaning. Otherwise, it can be more harmful if it is reused without proper precautions.
C. Respirator Mask: This mask is more effective than others in terms of filtration efficiency. It has a close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles.