From my experience in Brunei during the must worst haze (>1000psi) period in 1997 - 1998, the best respirator mask is actually a wet face towel as compared to the flimsy disposable blue paper respirator or even N95 respirator. They are not so very air-tight and serve more to contain germs from coming out of your mouth like during an infectious disease. For the fine microscopic soot (or even nano-pollutants) around us, a wet towel is more effective because of the water ionic properties of binding those fine dusts besides providing moisture for our dry nasal cavities thus preventing dry cough. Particularly it is also good to prevent asthmatic attacks induce by the dry soot. Because again like other simple home remedy, it is probably not recommended as the companies selling the other products would frown badly upon it. The simple wet face towel can remove more fine dust that the HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter that are very expensive and not really portable. So to cater to the general populace, perhaps, someone can purchase from Vietnam, those motorcycle face mask (S$2) each and simply by wetting it and washing it constantly can reuse it as a simple face respirator. Again the concern is for mass usage and not for profiteering that we have somehow gravitated to. Take Care. Shananarocks!
↧