As winter approaches, there is a great chance north India will be enveloped in a layer of smog. Each year, news channels and papers are flooded with comparisons of Delhi and Beijing, which is infamous for its levels of air pollution. When the pollution levels outside your home (and sometimes even inside your home) reach such dystopian levels, you need to take tangible measures to protect yourself and your family. An N95 mask may be the best short-term solution to protect yourself against airborne pollutants. The presence of PM 2.5 in the air is especially dangerous to your respiratory health. Before going into how an N95 mask helps filter PM 2.5, let’s understand what the dreaded pollutant is.
What Is PM 2.5?
PM 2.5 or particulate matter 2.5 are atmospheric particles that are less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter. This means that these particles are so small, they are 3% the diameter of a human hair! These minute particles can only be seen under an electron microscope.
Why Is It Dangerous?
What makes PM 2.5 dangerous is its sheer minuteness. The particles are so tiny, they can easily enter the cavities of your body, like your nose or your throat and lodge themselves in your circulatory system. These tiny particles are foreign bodies that should not be in your body and can cause problems like heart disease, chronic asthma, bronchitis and a host of other respiratory problems. According to the WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines, the annual permissible levels of PM 2.5 in the air is 10 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3). You may be shocked to learn that India’s levels of PM 2.5 when four times higher in 2017!
How Does the N95 Mask Protect You?
The ‘N95’ in the mask stands for a government approval that the mask can filter out 95% of particles that are as small as 0.3 microns in size. The masks are protective respiratory devices which enhance the filtration of particulate matter in the air you breathe. This is the minimum quality of protection you should look for when buying a respiratory mask. The mask can filter up to 95 per cent of the harmful particulates, which tend to stay in the air longer owing to their lightness. There are several N95 masks you can choose from in the market.
One of the best is the one made by 3M, which is available easily on Amazon and directly on our website. The 3M N95 masks are dust protection safety masks. They come with adjustable nose clips for a custom fit, light construction for enhanced use and can be used to protect against a variety of non-oil-based airborne matter. The masks are available in a convenient pack of 1,2,5,10,20,160.
Final Thoughts
With global warming, industrial pollution, coupled with crop burning and the harmful habits of human beings, there is an immediate need to protect the environment and its people. As the earth attempts to heal itself slowly, you can protect yourself too. Invest in an N95 mask today.