An air purifying respirator is a device worn on the face which is meant to protect the user from harmful airborne contaminants.
These are the most common types being used:
| Effective | Reusable | Mechanical Filter | Chemical Filter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Dust mask” | ❌ | – | – | – |
| Medical mask | ❌ | – | – | – |
| Filtering facepiece respirator | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Elastomeric respirator | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Why use a respirator?
The human lungs are vital organs that are made out of tiny sacks called alveoli, which are extraordinarily sensitive.
They are designed to breathe in one thing, and one thing only: CLEAN AIR.
Anything else can and will cause cumulative damage to them, which might culminate in a life-threatening, horrendous disease.
Not only are the lungs susceptible to damage themselves, but since they are heavily vascularized, anything that you breathe in can easily enter your bloodstream, and affect other organs (e.g. liver, kidneys, brain, etc.).
Since we already live in a highly polluted environment filled with all sorts of toxins, the last thing we want is to further expose ourselves to even more unnecessary hazards:
- Don’t smoke.
- Don’t vape.
- When working on your car, USE A DAMN RESPIRAOR.
Car detailing risks
Although car detailing is generally safe, there are a few tasks which might generate harmful airborne contaminants which require adequate respiratory protection. The level of danger varies from annoying to life-threatening.
- Mist from cleaning products
- Sanding – anything
- Painting ☠⚠
To make matters worse, some of the most dangerous contaminants are the ones that you can’t even see.
Filtering facepiece respirators
Filtering facepiece respirators are disposable masks which are only equipped with a mechanical filter and are completely powerless against gasses / chemical vapors.
The European EN 149 standard specifies 3 types of masks:
| Particulates filtered: | Max inward leakage: | American equivalent: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FFP1 | >80% | <22% | – |
| FFP2 | >94% | <8% | N95 |
| FFP3 | >99% | <2% | N99 |
Additional indicators on the mask:
- R – Reusable
- NR – Not reusable
- V – Equipped with a valve (for easy exhaling)
- D – Passed optional clogging test using dolomite dust.
Note: All European masks are resistant to oil. The American ones are marked with the following letters:
- N – Not resistant
- R – Resistant
- P – Oil proof
Elastomeric respirators
Elastomeric respirators are reusable devices equipped with filters, which are superior to filtering facepiece respirators for the following reasons:
- Superior rubber seal which can achieve 0% inward leakage.
- Can be equipped with chemical filters.
- Higher upfront cost, but cheaper in the long run.
The European EN 143 standard specifies 3 types of mechanical filters to be used with the elastomeric respirators:
| Particulates filtered: | Max inward leakage: | American equivalent: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | >80% | 0% | – |
| P2 | >94% | 0% | ? |
| P3 | >99.95% | 0% | ? |
Mechanical Filters
Mechanical filters remove particulates (solid/liquid) from air through multiple mechanisms, based on their size:
- <0.1µm – Diffusion
- ~0.3µm – Diffusion / Interception
- >0.4µm – Interception / Impaction
The 0.3µm is the most penetrating particulate size, which is why all filters are tested using this specific size.
For example, a FFP3 mask is going to filter at least 99% of all 0.3µm particulates. What this means is that smaller or larger particles might get an even better filtration.
Mechanical filters are powerless against gasses, VOCs, or other vapors. For that, a chemical filter is required.
Über Mask: 3M Aura 9332+ FFP3 NR D
This is one of the best filtering facepiece respirators in the world:
- Extraordinary filtration effectiveness (99.99%, according to this test)
- Excellent inward leakage protection (nose/chin)
- Easy to breathe
- Max comfort
- 0 glasses fogging
- Looks amazing
- Smells nice
Filtering facepiece respirators conclusion
The numbers are abundantly clear:
There is no point in using anything less than FFP3 for mechanical filtration.
If you are performing a task which generates harmful dust, why would you use anything other than the most effective filter?