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What Are Respirators Are Common Today And Household Settings

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Respirators are defined by Merriam-Webster as, “a device worn over the mouth and nose to protect the respiratory tract by filtering out dangerous substances (as dusts or fumes) from inhaled air” (Merriam-Webster). The use of respirators are common today in both industrial and household settings. The earliest known idea for a respirator can be traced to Pliny the Elder over 1900 years ago. He suggested the use of wearing animal bladders to protect Roman mine workers from inhaling red oxide of lead (OSHA). In 1854, John Stenhouse developed a respirator using powdered charcoal (see Figure 1) that could be used for protection from gas. Stenhouse’s respirator led to the use of activated charcoal, which is still used today (OSHA). There …show more content…

There are 5 markings required (see figure 2) by NIOSH for approved particulate filtering face-piece respirators (NIOSH, 2014);
Wet-laid process
The wet-laid process is a modified version of a process that is used to create paper. There are various methods that can be utilized based on the needs of the finished product, production, demand, etc. The particular wet laid process that was utilized in this experiment yielded a mat that was approximately 12”x12” with varying thickness, based on the mass of material used. One mat could be produced approximately every hour, with an additional two hours needed for the drying of each mat. The material is mixed with a dispersal agent, flocculating agent, and a resin. The process involved the mixing of the chemicals, along with the material. The resulting mixture is then added to the “suction box” and filled with more water. A vacuum is then pulled by opening a valve below the suction box, resulting in a mat of the material on the mesh bottom of the suction box.
This project was a continuation of prior research conducted by Meghan Moore. She investigated how the efficiency of using activated carbon fiber compared to traditional filtering face-piece respirators for nanoparticle aerosols. The particular activated carbon fibers used in this study were two nonwoven activated carbon fiber felts, with a surface area of 1,000m2/g and 1,500m2/g, and two woven activated carbon fibers

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