Bacteria Filtration Efficiency for Different Types of Protective Face Masks

Abstract

Emerging infectious diseases that we are witnessing in the modern age are among the leading public health concerns. They most often occur in the form of epidemics or pandemics, and they have not been sufficiently researched. Owing to the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the World Health Organization has published various recommendations to prevent the spread of this communicable disease, including a recommendation to wear protective facial masks. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the filtration effectiveness of bacteria, yeasts, and molds on three different commonly and commercially available masks used in children’s educational institutions. In addition, the bacterial content of indoor air bioaerosols was identified. The genera Staphylococcus and Micrococcus were dominant in all samples, whereas bacteria of the genera Bacillus, Acinetobacter, and Corynebacterium were identified at a significantly smaller number. Bacterial, yeast, and mold filtering effectiveness increased from the single-layer cloth mask, which proved to be the least effective, to the surgical mask, to the filtering facepiece type 2 (FFP2) mask. Furthermore, surveys are needed to study the effectiveness of protective measures.

Keywords

• bacterial filtration efficiency
• face masks
• human health
• respiratory protection
• personal protection