Measuring the Filtration Efficiency of the Best-Selling Alternative Masks on Amazon

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dc.access.optionRestricted Campus Access Only
dc.contributor.advisorSousan, Sinan
dc.contributor.advisorBalanay, Jo Anne
dc.contributor.authorChaaban, Omar Mansoor
dc.contributor.committeeMemberSousan, Sinan
dc.contributor.committeeMemberBalanay, Jo Anne
dc.contributor.departmentHealth Education and Promotion
dc.date.accessioned2022-07-19T18:49:26Z
dc.date.available2024-05-01T08:02:29Z
dc.date.created2022-05
dc.date.issued2022-05-04
dc.date.submittedMay 2022
dc.date.updated2022-07-12T14:48:01Z
dc.degree.departmentHealth Education and Promotion
dc.degree.disciplinePublic Health Studies
dc.degree.grantorEast Carolina University
dc.degree.levelUndergraduate
dc.degree.nameBS
dc.description.abstractThe purpose of this study is to assess the filtration efficiency of different face covering materials in comparison to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved N95 respirator. This investigation is significant because public health was jeopardized when COVID-19 spread through the United States. Healthcare professionals and the public depend on respirators to prevent disease transmission. Unfortunately, data regarding filter efficiency for unapproved masks were not available to assist in decision-making. Therefore, healthcare professionals and the public used limited resources for virus protection. This project will use an aerosol generation method that produces particulates that simulate SARS-CoV-2 particles to identify which alternative fabrics can efficiently filter infectious aerosols. We hypothesize that the public is not using adequate respiratory protection from SARS-CoV-2 compared to the N95 respirator. To test this hypothesis, we determined what masks the public is wearing by searching the top 10 best-selling adult masks from the largest online retailer in the United States (Amazon.com) and determining their filtration efficiency. We will measure the filter efficiency of different masks by following the standard testing procedures developed by NIOSH. First, aerosol will be generated using a 2% NaCl solution to replicate infectious respiratory droplets. Next, the temperature and relative humidity of the generated particles will be set at 25 ± 5 °C and 30 ± 10%, respectively. The particle size distribution of the generated aerosol must have a count median diameter of 0.075 ± 0.020 micrometers. Finally, the single respirator filter will be tested in a customized chamber at a system flow rate of 85 ± 4 LPM. The filter efficiency will be calculated by measuring the aerosol size distribution of the upstream and downstream salt concentrations generated to challenge the filter. The efficiency will represent the filter's effectiveness to prevent particle penetration through the respirator. This work will build on our current research project, where we have tested a NIOSH-approved N95 filter in the Aerosol Research laboratory at ECU, resulting in an efficiency of 97%. The outcome for the top 10 best-selling adult masks will be presented as results.
dc.embargo.lift2024-05-01
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10342/10863
dc.publisherEast Carolina University
dc.subjectFiltration efficiency, alternative masks, NIOSH
dc.titleMeasuring the Filtration Efficiency of the Best-Selling Alternative Masks on Amazon
dc.typeHonors Thesis
dc.type.materialtext

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