Figure 6.

Performance of Commercially Available Masks and Respirators

Particle removal efficiency of standard commercial masks of three types: N95 (N95-n), surgical style marketed for medical use (S-n), and other (O-1, a charcoal filter mask). Data collected with a nylon overlayer holding the mask in place represent a proxy for best possible fit, i.e., gray bars provide a measure of the particle removal capacity of the materials. N95-1 was well fitted to the mask wearer and shows the expected >99% filtration, while N95-2 was less well fitted, as seen by the difference between the blue and gray bars. While the fit of the three surgical masks (S-1 to S-3) is quite different (blue bars), the materials are comparable (gray bars). Error bars show standard deviation between replicates (n = 3 masks for each type tested).