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Posted: Nov 21, 2012
The effectiveness of N95 respirator filters against nanoparticles
(Nanowerk News) The phenomenal growth in nanotechnology products is raising concerns about human exposure to the nanoparticles thus produced, which can pose health and safety risks for workers. Besides elimination at source or exposure reduction, ventilation (either local or general) and personal protection (particularly respiratory protection) are the means of control to be favoured in this context. The proper functioning of these processes is mainly based on filter efficiency.
A new research published by the IRSST (Quebec Occupational Health and Safety Research Institute) developed a method for characterizing respirator and ventilation system filters at different air flow rates. This method could also apply to the evaluation of the effectiveness of porous protective clothing. The results of this research allow workers exposed to nanoparticles to be better protected and contribute to the development of specific expertise, currently nonexistent in Canada.