Sojourner
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2012
- Messages
- 2,610
I bought a few packs of KN95 masks way back in April and have been using those same masks over and over again since. Other than smelling a little "stale", they seem to be holding up really well. But I recently heard something on a podcast that seemed to indicate that these types of masks aren't truly reusable. Apparently their efficacy relies partially on electrostatic filtration, which wears out as one breathes in and out through them over time.
There isn't much available online about this issue, so I was wondering how others are using their low-cost KN95 masks. Do you wear each mask only once and then discard? Do you wear each mask more than once, letting it "rest" for several days in between? Or do you wear the same mask over and over again with no "rest" intervals?
NOTE: I did find this one research study that found both N95 and KN95 masks retain their overall filtration efficiency even after decontamination procedures like being exposed to 70° C heat. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7724761/
There isn't much available online about this issue, so I was wondering how others are using their low-cost KN95 masks. Do you wear each mask only once and then discard? Do you wear each mask more than once, letting it "rest" for several days in between? Or do you wear the same mask over and over again with no "rest" intervals?
NOTE: I did find this one research study that found both N95 and KN95 masks retain their overall filtration efficiency even after decontamination procedures like being exposed to 70° C heat. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7724761/