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You are here: JosephPrep > Bio-Chemical > Gas Masks > Essay on obtaining the proper respiratory protection
Respiratory Protection from NBC Incidents
Gas Mask, or Surgical-like Mask, or Both?
by Sterling D. Allan
Copyright © 2003 JosephPrep LLC February 23, 2003 EVERYONE NEEDS RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
Between industrial accidents, terrorist incidents, pollution, fires, and
household chemical exposure, the need for respiratory protection is an issue that everyone in the
world faces, whether in a developed area or not. Some regions of the planet are more prone
to see a serious incidents of lethal exposure, while other regions are likely to be more
benign. Though not everyone has the same risk of being caught in a critical nuclear,
biological, or chemical situation; everyone faces the potential of life-threatening smoke from a
fire. Most people in today's world are also exposed to everyday chemicals that can reduce
health or even cause death if they are breathed into the lungs in high enough amounts.
How should you prepare for such eventualities without undergoing unnecessary
expense or training? What is a reasonable course of action? Do you need a gas mask, or
would an activated carbon fiber surgical-like mask be adequate, or would it be best for you to
have both?
ULTIMATE PROTECTION
On one extreme, first responders such as firemen and chemical clean-up
crews are equipped and trained with sophisticated breathing apparatus and clothing to protect them
when they intentionally enter toxic environments in order to contain them. Some even more
highly trained specialists have ultra advanced equipment to handle extremely unusual and toxic
situations.
Obviously, this kind of equipment and training is impractical for the average
citizen, even if they live in a high risk location such as New York City.
NO PROTECTION
On the other extreme, some people choose to have no protective equipment or
contingency plans. They gamble that they will not be in such a dire circumstance as to need
such protection, with the risk of death if they lose that gamble.
In between these two extremes are various levels of preparation.
A DAMP CLOTH OVER YOUR MOUTH AND NOSE
The lack of a designated protective device does not have to be a lethal choice
if you are resourceful. A wet cloth placed over the mouth and nose will provide a
significant degree of filtering in the case of a fire, for example. It can also provide a
line of respiratory defense in event of a biological incident. But in a chemical incident,
the wet cloth would provide only marginal protection.
SURGICAL LIKE MASK WITH ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER
 The
next level of protection would be some kind of surgical-like mask, especially an activated carbon
fiber-filled one, such as the Clean Air Mask.
These can be made nearly air-tight around the edges by holding the mask place over your nose and
mouth with your hands. If you need one hand to be free, you can use the other hand to pinch
the mask against the bridge of the nose. This will reduce most of the side-leakage that is
otherwise present with such a mask that is designed to be held in place by elastic. The
metal insert that nominally forms the mask around the nose is far from air tight, and with just
the elastic holding the mask in place around the back of the head, most air flow takes place by
the sides of the nose.
If the edges can be secured, the activated carbon filter in the Clean Air Mask
will filter out Sarin gas (see note below about Chemical
warfare), Hanta virus, small pox, and other lethal agents.
GAS MASK
 The
best respiratory protection for the average citizen is a well fitted gas mask, such as
an Israeli gas mask, with a NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) filter; or the M-95 gas
mask. The pricing for these is not too unreasonable.
However, there are two major problems to bear in mind with the gas mask.
NOT LIKELY TO HAVE GAS MASK WITH YOU
First, because of the size and awkwardness of the mask, you are not likely to
actually have the mask with you in the case of an emergency that calls for it. You are more
likely to encounter a critical incident away from your home or car where your mask is likely to be
stored.
 That
is why it would be good to also have a surgical-like carbon filter mask, such as the Clean
Air Mask. Because of its light weight and small size (7" x 4" x 0.1"), it
can easily fit in a purse or even a wallet. Folded in half, it can fit in a back pocket
without making a bulge. It can provide far more protection than a piece of fabric. If
held in place by both hands so that it seats firmly around the face, its protection can be
nominally comparable to a gas mask, though without eye protection, and with not as long a
filtering capacity.
The surgical-like mask could give you the extra minutes you need to either escape to a more safe area, or to get to your gas mask.
DIFFICULT TO GET PROPER SEAL
Second, it is difficult to get a gas mask to seat properly around the face so
as to secure an adequately tight fitting. Because of the strength of the filter, and the
degree of suction from the lungs required to pull air through it, if there are any leaks around
the fitting of the gas mask, most all the air will flow in there, rather than through the
filter. Because of this, a surgical-like mask just held in place with elastic and secured by
pinching two fingers over the bridge of the nose, is likely to provide more respiratory protection
than the gas mask that doesn't seat properly.
GO INSIDE AND UPSTAIRS
Generally speaking, in the event of an chemical incident, you want to get
indoors and up high, after getting far enough away from "ground zero." The gasses
tend to seep to lower ground. Do not go into a basement.
TESTING THE SEAL OF A GAS MASK
There are some NBC situations in which only a well fitted gas mask will serve
as an adequate line of defense between life and death. One way to test your mask to see if
it will protect you under such circumstances of highly lethal substances in the air, is to take an
ampoule of banana oil and break it open while wearing the mask. If you can smell the
banana, you would be dead in a highly toxic gas attack such as VX or Sarin. Thousands of
people would have died in the Tokyo subway incident had the attackers known how to dispense the
Sarin gas they used.
Protection against a chemical weapons attack, such as Sarin, VX gas or worse, will be minimal with the surgical-like mask with activated carbon filter because such chemicals usually penetrate the skin and eyes as well. A gas mask would provide more of a barrier, because it would cover more exposed skin surface as well as the eyes. However, only a properly fitted chemical suit would provide an adequate shield in such a situation.
DECONTAMINATION
Another issue of safety using a gas mask has to do with the procedure for
decontamination. In the case of a lethal dose attack, protected by a mask, there are certain
recommendations for how to remove the mask. Likewise, there are recommendations for how to
use chemical suits. If you wish to use these devices, you ought to become familiar with
these recommendations.
BEARDS
A bearded man can increase the seal of the mask around his face by using
Vaseline, for example; but Vaseline is problematic for decontamination. The antagonist agent
will stick to the Vaseline, creating a vector for assimilation into the body.
CHILDREN
Another factor to bear in mind for gas masks is that not only is it hard to get
one to fit a child, but younger children are not apt to don a gas mask in the first place out of
fear of being enclosed about their face. They do not understand the restricted breathing
that the strong filters of the mask impose. Their little lungs are not nearly as capable of
extracting breath through the filters.
For infants and toddlers, you can purchase enclosed suits with filters and
pumps to provide the little one with clean air in a toxic NBC event. These suits are
quite expensive, and are essentially the only portable solution.
 The
younger child is far more likely to don a surgical-like mask with activated carbon fiber filter
than a gas mask. The older they are, the more likely they will be to understand the need to
seal the flow of air around the bridge of the nose, creating more labored (and protected)
breathing through the filter. A paper clip can hold the elastic together behind the child's
head, as their head is not nearly as large as an adults for which the surgical-like mask is
designed. Adults with more narrow heads will also need to devise a way to shorten the length
of the elastic.
So-called "youth" gas masks are generally designed for children 8
years old and up. The issues relating to gas mask versus surgical-like activated carbon
filter mask are the same for them as for adults.
FIRES AND SMOKE
Fortunately, though the threat of NBC incidents is increasing in the world,
statistically, most people are still very unlikely to be faced with such an attack or
accident. The chances of being in a burning building is closer to 98% in the average
life-time. For that purpose, the surgical-like mask, pinched tight against the nose with one
hand, is a line of respiratory defense that could easily save many lives.
EVERYDAY CHEMICALS
Furthermore, everyday household and industrial chemicals should not be handled
without respiratory protection. An Clean Air Mask
with its activated carbon fiber filter would be a good item to have on hand around the house
whenever chemicals are being used. One mask can be reused many times for these short
duration uses. Most industrial uses of chemicals already stipulate certain respiratory
protections. These should be heeded.
PEACE OF MIND: THE ANTIDOTE TO TERROR
With such precautions, the incidence of death or serious injury from inhalation
of toxic or harmful substances can be profoundly reduced. Having such contingencies in place
can bring peace of mind. In today's world, such a peace of mind is a powerful weapon against
the terror that various enemies wish to impose.
See also
Page created by SDA Feb. 23, 2003 |
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