Performance of two respiratory protective devices used by home-attending health care workers (a pilot study)
Open accessAbstract
Objectives: This pilot study aimed at determining the Workplace Protection Factor (WPF) for respiratory protective devices widely used by health care workers to reduce exposure to potentially hazardous aerosols when attending patients in their homes. Two devices were tested, an N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) and a surgical mask (SM).Methods: Three home-attending health care workers were recruited, medically cleared and fit tested. At the workplace, the aerosol concentrations outside (Cout) and inside (Cin) of the tested respiratory protective device worn by a subject were measured using two simultaneously operating P-Trak condensation particle counters within the particle size range of approximately 20–1,000 nm. Real-time and integrated (time-weighted average, TWA) values of WPF = Cout/Cin were determined.Results: This pilot study demonstrated that the WPF of the tested N95 FFR consistently exceeded that of the SM. The WPFTWA(C) values calculated for the entire test time (based on the TWA aerosol concentration values) ranged from 29 to 40 and 2 to 9, respectively. In all cases, the N95 FFR provided protection above the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) assigned protection factor of 10, whereas the SM often offered little or essentially no protection against the measured sub-micrometer aerosol particles. For both devices, the protection level was found to depend on activity. For example, the WPFTWA(C) for one subject wearing the N95 FFR was 56 during normal activity but fell almost 70% during tracheal suctioning. It is explicable considering that different procedures implemented by health care workers in homes generate particles of different sizes and require different body movements; both factors are anticipated to affect the WPF.Conclusions: Wearing an N95-certified respirator helps significantly reduce the aerosol inhalation exposure of home-attending health care workers. An SM offers much lower protection. The WPF depends on several factors, including, but not limited to, the health care worker's activity and/or body movements; the WPF varies from one worker to another.
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N95 FFRs are employed as personal protective equipment (PPE) and they provide a high level of protection for filtering facepiece masks that cover only the nose and mouth.
“N95 FFR are employed as personal protective equipment (PPE) and they provide a high level of protection for filtering facepiece masks that cover only the nose and mouth (as opposed to full and half-face respirators constructed from elastomeric materials) [3, 58–74].”
From The protective performance of reusable cloth face masks, disposable procedure masks, KN95 masks and N95 respirators: Filtration and total inward leakage (2021) · cites this paper as [65]
The Introduction describes N95 filtering facepiece respirators as widely used respiratory protection, and the Conclusions report significantly better protection than a surgical mask in this pilot study (page numbers unavailable). The copy does not address the claim that these devices cover only the nose and mouth or contrast them with elastomeric full- and half-face respirators; its protection finding is limited to one N95 model tested during home visits. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe Quality Factor (QF) is commonly used to compare the performance of materials used to filter particulates under similar experimental conditions.
“The Quality Factor (QF) is commonly used to compare the performance of materials used to filter particulates under similar experimental conditions [62–81];”
From The protective performance of reusable cloth face masks, disposable procedure masks, KN95 masks and N95 respirators: Filtration and total inward leakage (2021) · cites this paper as [65]
The Introduction and Materials and Methods describe Workplace Protection Factor (WPF), calculated from aerosol concentrations inside and outside a worn respirator. Searches for Quality Factor (QF) and comparisons of particulate-filter materials found no passage addressing the claim; the indexed copy provides no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.75)
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Cites
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Breathing Patterns During Job-Related Tasks for Home Healthcare Workers Influencing Aerosol Exposure
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- Authors
- Elmashae, R. B. Y., Grinshpun, S. A., Reponen, T., Yermakov, M., & Riddle, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Cincinnati (US)
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Grinshpun, Sergey A.
- Venue
- Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2017-08-24
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- D145-D149
- ISSN
- 1545-9624 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-9632
- PMC
- PMC6748322
- OpenAlex
- W2624648757
- Cited by
- 12
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 1.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (T42-OH008432)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Infection Control and Ventilation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Infection Control in Healthcare
- Keywords
- workplace protection factor, N95 respirators, surgical masks, endotracheal suctioning, personal protective equipment, aerosol concentration measurement, condensation particle counter
- MeSH terms
- Aerosols, Air Pollutants, Occupational, Female, Filtration, Health Personnel, Home Care Services, Humans, Masks, Pilot Projects, Respiratory Protective Devices, Occupational Exposure, Inhalation Exposure
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