Face masks not enough to fight air pollution

Air pollution causes an estimated 1.6 million premature deaths in China each year, the study team notes.

Although a mask may filter tiny particles as advertised, face size and shape as well as movement can lead to leakage as high as 68 per cent, researchers report in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
 

“Even if the filtration efficiency of the mask is high, and the mask fits the person initially, the mask may not continue to give a good fit as the person goes about their daily activities — walking, talking, and more,” said senior study author Miranda Loh, an environmental scientist at the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland.
 

“It is important for people to understand that