Amid the rush for masks with the coronavirus, we’ve found that some people are wearing masks the wrong way round! But does wearing surgical masks the wrong way round affect their ability to capture viruses? Some online sources claim it doesn’t matter, like this one. Surgical masks are made up of 3 layers, and […]
Tag: effectiveness
Can Plants Filter Out PM2.5 Air Pollution From Our Homes?
Can plants be useful substitutes for air purifiers? Data shows that plants aren’t great at removing VOCs from the air. Despite a NASA study showing that some plants like ivy, spider plants, aloe vera and bamboo palm could reduce VOC levels, real-home data shows otherwise. But how well can plants filter out particles from the […]
What Are the Best Materials for Making DIY Masks?
With masks sold out during the coronavirus outbreak, many people will have to make do with what some scientists have called “the last resort”: the DIY mask. Data shows that DIY and homemade masks are effective at capturing viruses. But if forced to make our own mask, what material is best suited to make a […]
Can DIY Masks Protect Us From Coronavirus?
DIY masks to protect against from viruses sounds like a crazy idea. Data shows masks work incredibly well, and they’re also really cheap. Surgical masks cost a few pennies, and they’re capable of filtering out 80% of particles down to 0.007 microns (14 times smaller than the coronavirus). However, the coronavirus outbreak brought with it […]
Can Masks Capture Coronavirus Particles?
With the outbreak of the coronavirus, many people are wondering if masks capture coronavirus particles. It’s a lot to ask billions of people around the world to become mask experts overnight. There is a lot of conflicting information. Do surgical masks capture coronavirus particles? Media outlets like US National Public Radio have claimed they don’t. Fortunately, […]
Can Japanese Pitta Masks Protect Against Coronavirus?
With the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, interest has surged in Japanese Pitta masks. Smart Air has received a flood of questions about how well they filter the coronavirus and other viruses. The Japanese Pitta masks are sleek and incredibly popular, but there’s little information available on how well they filter out tiny […]
Are Japanese Pitta Masks Effective Against Air Pollution? Review
In recent months, the Japanese Pitta masks have seen a surge in popularity in Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai, as well as in India, the US and South Korea. They look sleek, but I wanted to review whether the Pitta masks actually work, and how effective is the Pitta Mask at filtering PM2.5, […]
Do Masks Really Work in India’s Air Pollution?
Every year when winter rolls around, a billion people in India are left breathing toxic, polluted air when on the streets. Be it in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or Hyderabad, everyone is forced to become experts in a complicated scientific question to cope with the pollution: Do air pollution masks work? I’ve heard doubts from smart, […]
Do Pollution Masks Really Work?
When a billion people in China (and quite a few expats) woke up to the severe air pollution in almost every city in China, it forced a billion people to become experts in a complicated scientific question: Do masks work? Since then, I’ve given talks with hundreds of people all around China about how to protect […]
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