DIY cloth masks to protect against 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 COVID-19). However, the COVID-19 … Read more
COVID-19 has caused a surge in interest for all types of masks, including Japanese Pitta masks. Smart Air has received a flood of questions about how well they filter COVID-19 and other viruses. The Japanese Pitta masks are sleek and incredibly popular, but there’s little information available on how well … Read more
Since COVID-19 started, there has been confusion on how to correctly where a surgical mask. 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 there … Read more
Dyson’s Pure Cool air purifier looks impressive. However a review of its clean air rating (CADR) reveals this filter does a poor job of providing clean air – the Dyson TP05 Pure Cool’s CADR comes in at just 164m3/hr. That means the Dyson Pure Cool air purifier out as much … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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? … Read more
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 … Read more
