Bacterial filtration efficiency of different masks

Košir, Tamara (author), Fric, Katja (author), Filipić, Arijana (author), Kogovšek, Polona (author)

Face coverings, such as surgical masks and respirators, have an important role in preventing bacterial and viral transmission, especially during a global pandemic like COVID-19. Therefore, to secure their availability, new manufacturers and the use of novel materials must be encouraged. However, masks and their materials must first be properly tested for safety and efficiency, as required by the relevant standard, valid in a specific region. All standards prescribe determination of the bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of masks. In this study, we report the establishment of a test method for the BFE of face masks in accordance with European standard EN 14683:2019, by which we tested 52 samples, each composed of 3 to 5 subsamples, of surgical and cloth masks, respirators, filters, and mask materials. Forty-seven out of the 52 samples reached a BFE above 75 %. Of these, 16 samples had a BFE of 75 % to 95 %, 3 had a BFE of 95 % to 98 %, while 28 reached a filtration efficiency above 98 %. Our findings show that all tested samples provided some level of protection, most of which met the requirements for the national or European market.

• Language: English
• Keywords: bacterial filtration efficiency, face coverings, masks, respirators, Andersen Cascade Impactor, EN 14683:2019
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.04.2022
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 225-232
• Numbering: Vol. 68, no. 4, spec. iss.: SARS-Cov-2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-136361
• UDC: 579
• ISSN on article: 0039-2480
• DOI: 10.5545/sv-jme.2022.34
• COBISS.SI-ID: 105952259
• Publication date in RUL: 26.04.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Strojniški vestnik
• Shortened title: Stroj. vestn.
• Publisher: Zveza strojnih inženirjev in tehnikov Slovenije [etc.], = Association of Mechanical Engineers and Technicians of Slovenia [etc.
• ISSN: 0039-2480
• COBISS.SI-ID: 762116

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 24.03.2022
• Applies to: Accepted for publication

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Določanje učinkovitosti bakterijske filtracije različnih tipov mask
• Keywords: učinkovitost bakterijske filtracije, zaščitne maske, EN 14683, šest stopenjski Andersenov vzročevalnik

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0165
• Name: Biotehnologija in sistemska biologija rastlin