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ACADEMIA Letters Choosing a Proper Face Mask during COVID-19 Pandemic - Issues and Challenges Devinder Pal Singh Amid the COVID-19 pandemic using a face mask has become an essential feature of our daily life. During the pre-pandemic era, face masks were commonly used by scientists, engineers, medical professionals, health officials and workers, but currently, everyone is faced with the reality of wearing them. With a wide variety of face masks, having varied features, being available in the market, one is perplexed with selecting an apt mask for one’s needs. Lately, researchers are working on the improvement of the protective and comfort properties of face masks. As facemasks are mostly made of non-biodegradable material, so a crucial issue is their proper disposal after use. The improper disposal of used facemasks is leading to an increase in environmental pollution. In this article, the essential features of some commonly available face masks, their effectiveness, and the criterion for the selection of a proper facemask are described. The latest developments, issues and challenges related to facemasks are also reported. Introduction A facemask is a loose-fitting, disposable device, which creates a physical barrier between the wearer’s mouth and nose and the contaminants in the surrounding environment. Usually, facemasks are categorized as dental, isolation, medical procedure or surgical [1]. These are primarily used to reduce inhaling airborne particles that may cause various health effects. A conventional facemask consists of one, two or three layers of flat or pleated fabric affixed to the head with ear loops.[2] A surgical mask is typically used as a physical barrier to body fluids Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.com Citation: Singh, D.P. (2021). Choosing a Proper Face Mask during COVID-19 Pandemic - Issues and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 982. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL982. 1 and larger droplets [3]. Surgical masks are also helpful in reducing the danger of splashes or sprays of body fluids, secretions, excretions and blood from reaching the wearer’s mouth and nose. While facemasks available in the market provide a certain degree of protection against dust particles, bacteria, viruses and allergens, they may not have a reasonable degree of comfort.[4] Notably, the sweat occurring in the mouth and nose area causes discomfort for face mask wearers. Besides, PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less) has become a significant health hazard in many cities worldwide [5]. PM2.5 in polluted air can directly go through the lung alveolar to cause many diseases, including asthma. The heavy metals adhered to PM2.5 particles may even lead to cancer. Regular gauze masks fail to prevent inhaling the PM2.5 fine particles due to the large porosity of the mask material. Methodology A comprehensive literature survey [1-17] has been carried out to understand the issues and challenges of fabricating and choosing facemasks for daily wear. The descriptive analysis method is applied to the data taken from the literature [5-9] to arrive at the conclusions reported hereafter. Comparison Though cloth masks’ efficacy is not high, wearing them is better than wearing nothing, as their use helps reduce the transmission of the coronavirus. In comparison, medical-grade masks that follow standards [e.g. N95 (in the U.S.), FFP2 (in the European Union), and KN95 (in China)] are significantly more effective in protecting the wearer. The pros and cons of some commercially available masks have been reported in the literature [5]. Table 1 summarizes the salient features of five different types of facemasks. Notably, most of these masks are generally made of nonwoven fabric microfibers with large diameters of several micrometres. The thin microfiber mask (e.g. the disposable nonwoven mask) has excellent air permeability. However, it has a low rejection of PM2.5 due to the insufficient fibre thickness and larger interfiber volume. Contrarily, the thick microfiber masks of Ito PM2.5 and N95 have an improved rejection ratio (PM2.5) of >80%, which is enough for daily use. But they both have high resistance to air permeability, which can lead to uncomfortable breathability during service. The R95 mask, generally used in the medical sector, can well protect doctors from virus infection. However, it is unsuitable for everyday use due to the extremely poor air permeability. Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.com Citation: Singh, D.P. (2021). Choosing a Proper Face Mask during COVID-19 Pandemic - Issues and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 982. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL982. 2 Table 1. Comparison of different commercial face-masks Environmental Issues Currently, people suffering from the uncertainty of COVID-19 diffusion want to be out of harm’s way. So, they are on the alert for innovative and effective face masks to decrease their stress condition. With the enhanced demand for facemasks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the facial sheet masks market, USD 282.8 million in 2018, is likely to soar up to USD 551.3 million in 2026 [10]. In hospitals, the medical staff uses surgical face masks to protect themselves from the fanning out of respiratory drops produced by the sneezing or infective coughing of patients. In cosmetics, the beauty face mask helps protect the skin from pollution by acting as a hydrating and rejuvenation agent. Unfortunately, both types of these masks are mostly being made by petrol-derived non-biodegradable materials. Their large scale and continuous usage are adding to the ever-increasing pollution invading our planet. With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the enhanced use of facemasks has caused a further increase in harmful waste [10]. Thus, the development of reusable masks of bio-degradable material is urgently needed. Current developments Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.com Citation: Singh, D.P. (2021). Choosing a Proper Face Mask during COVID-19 Pandemic - Issues and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 982. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL982. 3 A face mask may consist entirely of filter material or comprises a face piece in which the primary filter(s) forms its inseparable part. Nanofibers are the critical elements for filter materials in face masks. The nanofibers have a very high surface area per unit mass, enhancing their capture efficiency of nanoparticles such as viruses and micron-sized particles such as bacteria or soot. European Disposables and Nonwovens Association reports that the nanofiber coating creates nonwoven webs tight enough to resist penetration by E. Coli bacteria [5, 11]. Researchers have recently achieved success in the lamination of nanofiber filters on face masks, using electrospinning to protect against viruses, dust particles, and allergens [1216]. Polysulfone nanofiber coated protective masks have been developed and found to prevent harmful particles’ inhalation in hazy conditions effectively. Nano-silver loaded Nylon 6 nanofibers based facemasks have been developed to control infection-causing agents. The face masks’ virus removal, anti-bacterial, immune improvement and contaminant protection properties are also under development. Nanofibers containing superabsorbent polymers are being developed to provide the enhanced absorbing capability to absorb the sweat in the vapour form without transforming into a liquid, thereby providing better comfort. With polysulfone nanofiber as filtration material, comfortable and effective masks are under development and are likely to be commercially available shortly [5]. Several researchers are designing and developing biodegradable natural materials to make the face masks environment-friendly [12]. Choosing a Proper Face Mask Choosing a proper face mask as per one’s need is an urgent task in the current situation. ASTM International, a worldwide organization, plays a vital role in helping us to decide which face mask to use. It evolves and publishes technical standards for a wide range of products and services. Since 2012 it has provided us ASTM F2100-11 standard for medical face masks [17]. The organization has tested material used to make medical face masks on five performance metrics to develop ASTM F2100-11 and to assign a numerical rating for the barrier performance of the material: (i) Level 1 - for low risk of fluid exposure (ii) Level 2 - for moderate risk of fluid exposure (iii) Level 3 - for high risk of fluid exposure. To know the mask rating, one must look for ASTM Level on the face mask package. However, it is a fact that all face masks are not ASTM-rated, so it’s essential to check before you decide to buy. The effort to find ASTM-rated face masks is worthwhile to ensure you’re getting the proper level of protection. Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.com Citation: Singh, D.P. (2021). Choosing a Proper Face Mask during COVID-19 Pandemic - Issues and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 982. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL982. 4 Fig 1: ASTM Level 1 Procedure Mask Fig 2: ASTM level 2 Fluidshield (Expanded Chamber Surgical Mask with Soft Lining and High-Quality Wrap-around Visor). Fig 3: ASTM Level 3 Fluidshield (Fog-free surgical mask with soft Lining and Anti Glare Wraparound Visor) [17] Conclusion Researchers are working hard to make us safe from pandemics by finding novel ways and means to cope with the challenging current scenario. But everyone must play one’s part in our health and the safety of others around us. Safety is everyone’s concern, but one’s choice to wear a particular mask is one’s own. With all the essential facts and safety factors (such as ASTM rating, ASTM level, PM 2.5 Rejection Ratio etc.) in mind, one can select a face mask that is right for one’s health protection needs. It is recommended that one must wear masks in public settings, e. g., public transit, at events and gatherings where physical distancing is not possible. The common public should utilize reusable masks which can be washed regularly to reduce environmental pollution. In addition, one must always remove one’s mask correctly and clean one’s hands after handling or touching a used mask. Stay safe; stay healthy! References 1. Akduman, C., Kumbasar, E. P. A., (2018). Nanofibers in face masks and respirators to provide better protection, Materials Science and Engineering. 460, 012013, IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1757-899X/460/1/012013 2. HAS Health Sciences Authority (2017). Health Products Regulation. http://www.hsa. gov.sg/content/dam/HSA/HPRG/Consumer_Information/Public%20Advisories/Influenza_ A_H1N1_information/consumer_advisories/HSAConsumerGuide-MakingInformedDecisionsWhenBuyingMa Respirators-FINAL-Aug09.pdf 3. Rengasamy, S., Shaffer, R., et al. (2017). A comparison of facemask and respirator Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.com Citation: Singh, D.P. (2021). Choosing a Proper Face Mask during COVID-19 Pandemic - Issues and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 982. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL982. 5 filtration test methods, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 14 (2), 92-103. 4. Morishima, M., Kishida, K., et al. 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Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.com Citation: Singh, D.P. (2021). Choosing a Proper Face Mask during COVID-19 Pandemic - Issues and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 982. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL982. 6 12. Sivri, C. (2018). Improvement of protective and comfort properties of face masks using superabsorbent polymer containing nanofibers, International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology. 30 (5) 668-686. DOI 10.1108/IJCST-10-2017-0169 13. Jamadi, E.S., Ghasemi-Mobarakeh, L., et al. (2016). Synthesis of polyester urethane urea and fabrication of elastomeric nanofibrous scaffolds for myocardial regeneration. Materials Science and Engineering C, 63, 106-116. DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2016.02.051. 14. Sivri, C., Dayik, M. et al. (2016). 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Choosing a Proper Face Mask during COVID-19 Pandemic - Issues and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 982. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL982. 7