Masks may seem simple but they also contain knowledge. The word mask has been widely used in daily life and has also experienced many changes in concepts. According to Wikipedia information, masks are mainly worn to prevent droplets from flying out. However, most people believe that masks are used to prevent inhalation of dirty, cold or germ-laden air. It can be seen that the concept of masks has developed new developments in recent years. The term mask has gradually taken on a new definition.
Reasons for the development of masks
The impression given by medical staff is that they wear masks to prevent droplets from affecting patients. This was gradually developed due to demand. Masks were officially adopted by the medical community after they recognized the presence of germs in the air. In 1861, French microbiologist Pasteur (L. Pasteur) confirmed through experiments that there are microorganisms in the air that can corrupt substances. In 1897, German microbiologist Flugge (C.) demonstrated through experiments that the behavior of medical staff talking to the wound during surgery may cause wound infection and inflammation. Based on this, German surgeon Jan Mikulicz Radecki first proposed in 1897 that medical staff should wear sterilized gauze masks that can cover the mouth and nose when performing operations, also known as "Mikulicz Radecki". "Mikulicz´s mask" is the first example of a mask appearing in historical literature of Western medicine.
Since then, "wearing a mask on the face" has become the standard image of medical staff. In 1897, a British surgeon installed a thin iron wire bracket inside the mask to leave a gap between the gauze and the mouth and nose, thus overcoming the shortcomings of poor breathing and easy moisture from saliva. In 1899, a Frenchman made a five-layer gauze mask and sewed it on the collar of a surgical gown. When using it, he only needed to turn up the collar. Soon, some people sewed straps on both sides of the mask and tied them on the head or hung them on the ears. This was basically similar to modern masks.The concept of modern medical masks is to tie the droplet-blocking material (non-woven fabric) to the head or hang it on the ears to block the droplets produced by medical staff from affecting patients.
If Xizi is unclean, everyone will pass by with their noses covered.
Same,Humans developed the concept of "masks" because of their need to avoid breathing in dirty air, but not called "mask" in the past, for example, the average person smells stench or sees rotting animals will cover their noses and pass, hoping to block the stench through their hands from being inhaled The sleeve handkerchief may be the concept of a mask, but if you are working, it is impossible to escape or work without your hands. In ancient times, coffins would cause mistakes by not attending the autopsy because of the foul odor. Therefore, in the book "The Collection of Writing Wrongs" written by Song Ci, it is mentioned how to avoid the foul odor and the harm of being harmed by the foul gas It is mentioned that in order to avoid misunderstandings, although the foul smell still has to be visited in person, you can burn it, soap horns to remove it, apply sesame oil to the nose, or make a paper stick to find oil to plug the two nostrils, still with small pieces of ginger placed in the mouth. When inspected, he closes his mouth fiercely, fearing that the evil spirit will rush in.
In order to perform their duties, coroners have to be close to stinky places, so they must take appropriate measures. The concept is the same as the use of masks, but from the perspective of modern occupational health, the approach is not entirely correct. The method proposed by Song Ci uses spices to strongly suppress the smell of foul smell. If you can't smell the foul smell, you haven't inhaled it. Everyone in modern times has a concept. This is just a cover-up and cannot achieve the effect. However, the concept has been very advanced. In particular, it is recommended to use paper tampons to plug the nostrils. There is a modern mask protection concept that removes sewage through the paper tampons.
How gas masks were developed
Protective equipment used to avoid inhaling dirty air is defined as "gas mask" in Wikipedia.The development of gas masks is related to the biological warfare and chemical warfare introduced in World War I. In World War I, the German army used chlorine gas in the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915, causing More than 5,000 soldiers of the British and French coalition were poisoned and died.
A large number of wild animals around the battlefield were also poisoned and died, but the wild boar was unharmed. Field inspections and research by experts have found that when a wild boar smells a strong and pungent smell, it instinctively digs its mouth into the ground and buries its long nose under the loose soil. The soil plays a role in filtering and adsorbing the poisonous gas. People were inspired to adopt the shape of a pig's mouth and imitate loose soil using porous materials to absorb and adsorb poisons. The gas mask designed in this way has two factors that affect the effect, the adsorbent (porous material like Shusong soil) and the jar (the shape of a pig's mouth) containing the adsorbent. The air passes through the jar with the shape of a pig's mouth and is absorbed by the jar. The substances inside are adsorbed.
The design of the gas mask is to use a rubber surface to guide the air through the adsorbent to adsorb the poisonous gas. When the adsorbent is changed to a dust-proof filter material that can block germs and dust, the gas mask can be used to prevent biological germs and dust. To avoid misunderstandings, Gas masks used to prevent dust are called "dust masks".
With the advancement of technology, dust-proof filter materials have made significant progress. The filter materials are lighter and softer. Therefore, designs have been developed that directly attach the filter materials to the face (such as simple N95 masks). The simplified design is very It was soon widely used, and masks with different levels of effectiveness were developed. However, this design cannot provide a very high protective effect, and it still cannot be used to protect against poisonous gases.
This kind of protective mask, which is designed with filter material directly attached to the face, is similar to the medical mask used by doctors and nurses. Although the purpose is different, the concept is the same, and most people are gradually confused. Some people hope to achieve a dual purpose, which can prevent droplets. Flying out can also avoid inhaling germs, so medical masks and protective masks are gradually being used interchangeably. Especially after the SARS epidemic, for medical staff who need both medical and protective masks, the distinction between medical masks and simple dust-proof protective masks has become increasingly blurred.
One mask goes all over the world
Although masks originated from medical purposes and dust-proof purposes, their designs have become increasingly blurred. With the development of science and technology, more and more different types of masks have been designed. You will find that there are many types of masks in stores, plus professional respiratory protective equipment, which are generally called masks, they are really diverse. The masks that can be seen on the market may include cloth masks with various patterns and colorful colors, and masks that claim to have special additions. Functional masks, special-shaped masks, newly designed transparent masks or nasal masks, scarf masks, medical masks with images of medical staff on the packaging, activated carbon masks with a gray-black appearance that looks like a layer of activated carbon, the most classic gauze masks, like N95 masks with professional meaning.
These masks may be designed to block dust or prevent droplets from flying out, but different materials and different designs may have different effects and quality. It is difficult for ordinary people to understand these, and they do not need to fully understand them. How to make wearing a mask more effective, here are three suggestions for your reference:
Suggestion 1: Choose high-quality masks
You should understand your needs and choose the appropriate type of mask based on your needs, such as medical masks for medical staff, medical masks for visiting patients, masks with high protective effects for high risks, N95 masks to prevent dust from harming the human body, and masks to prevent harmful oily gases. There is nothing wrong with P95 masks for environmental protection and general masks for general dust protection. These masks are designed for the different hazardous conditions faced by specific groups. How to ensure the quality of these masks, it is recommended that you refer to fair and objective test data, such as passing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review, passing European Standard (EN) testing, obtaining National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certification, etc. Masks, these masks will be appropriately labeled,When you are facing a high-risk environment where the concentration of dust and germs may cause serious harm, you must wear a certified occupational hygiene mask to be safe. Most people will not be exposed to high-risk environments. General protective masks can be used in general environments. However, there is no international standard for general protective masks. At this stage, you can only refer to the manufacturer's own test report. In addition, you can choose medical masks approved by the FDA. There are FDA It is recognized that the quality is relatively good. Although it cannot achieve the protective function of occupational health, the setting function of modern medical masks has a dual function. The purpose of setting is to block the spread of droplets between patients and doctors and prevent droplets from affecting patients. , it can also avoid being splashed or inhaled by droplets. It has a certain protective function and can be used to block general droplets or dust. Just be sure to wear it correctly.
Suggestion 2: Choose activated carbon masks carefully
It is common knowledge that activated carbon can adsorb organic solvents. Manufacturers use this concept to "create" so-called "activated carbon masks". In fact, they may just use gray-black materials to remind people that there is activated carbon in the masks, but the gray-black granular materials are not It must be activated carbon. Even if it is activated carbon, a thin layer of masks is unlikely to add too much activated carbon. There are various simple N95 masks in the world, but they have not yet been able to successfully develop one that can effectively block organic Of course, there are no simple N95 masks for solvent vapor, nor flat masks. According to the actual test data of the Labor Safety Institute, the best simple N95 masks with activated carbon become completely ineffective in about 10 minutes. Wearing an invalid mask does not block the organic solvent vapor at all, but inhales the organic solvent on the activated carbon. Gas masks should be used when exposed to high concentrations of organic solvents.
Suggestion 3: Wear a mask correctly
For a mask to be able to block droplets or dust, it must allow the breathed air to pass through the mask in order to be effective. If the mask is not worn properly and the inhaled and exhaled air does not pass through the mask, it will be ineffective.Wearing a mask properly will allow the air to pass through the mask as we expect and achieve the purpose of protection.
For a mask to be effective, it must be worn properly, otherwise even the most efficient mask will be ineffective. The key to wearing a mask well is to fit it as tightly as possible on the face and reduce any pores.
