Performance of conventional and antimicrobial-treated filtering facepiece respirators challenged with biological aerosols.

This study evaluated the filtration performance of four commercially available models of National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-certified filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) against both biological and inert aerosols at a flow rate of 85 L/min. Conventional N95 and P100 FFRs and two antimicrobial (AM)-treated FFRs (an N95 and a P95, both with iodine-based AM treatments) were tested for both physical penetration (PEN(P)) and viable penetration (PEN(V)) with three different bioaerosols, including MS2 bacteriophage virus, and the spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus atrophaeus bacteria, in addition to inert sodium chloride (NaCl) aerosol. For each FFR model, the PEN(P) measured with NaCl was predictive of its MS2 PEN(P), and it was observed that spores and bacteria aerosols were also filtered similarly to the inert aerosol.

Elastomeric, half-facepiece, air-purifying respirator performance in a lead battery plant.

This workplace protection factor (WPF) study of a half facepiece air-purifying respirator with P100 filters was done in a lead battery manufacturing plant. Paired air samples for lead were collected inside and outside respirators worn by workers who were properly trained and quantitatively fit tested. Of the 45 valid sample sets, only four had detectable lead on the inside sample.