• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.191-202
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• 2019

In this study, performance (particle removal efficiency and breathing resistance) of several commercially available face masks (electrostatic filter masks (KF80 certified), a nanofiber filter mask (KF80 certified), and an uncertified mask) with their filter structure and composition were evaluated. Also, effects of relative humidity (RH) of incoming air, water and alcohol exposure, and reusability on performance of face masks were examined. Monodisperse and polydisperse sodium chloride particles were used as test aerosols. Except the uncertified mask filter, PM_2.5 removal efficiency was found to be higher than 90%, and the nanofiber filter mask had the highest quality factor due to the low pressure drop and high removal efficiency (nanofibers were arranged in a densely packed pore structure and contained a significant amount of fluorine in addition to carbon and oxygen). In the case of the KF80 certified mask, the removal efficiency was little affected when the RH of incoming air increased. When the mask filters were soaked in water, the removal efficiency of mask filters was degraded. In particular, the uncertified mask filter showed the highest removal efficiency degradation (26%). When the mask was soaked in alcohol, the removal efficiency also decreased with the greater degree than the water soaking case. The nanofiber mask filter showed the strongest resistance to alcohol exposure among tested mask filters. During evaluation of reusability of masks in real life, the removal efficiency of certified mask filter was less than 4% for 5 consecutive days (2 hours per day), while the removal efficiency of uncertified mask filter significantly decreased by 30% after 5 days.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1734-1743
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• 2003

Aerosol generator using an electrically heated tube furnace is a stable apparatus to supply nanometer sized aerosols by using the evaporation and condensation processes. Using this method, we can generate highly concentrated polydisperse aerosols with relatively narrow size distribution. In this work, characteristics of particle size distribution, generated from a tube furnace, were experimentally investigated. We evaluated effects of several operation parameters on particle generation: temperature in the tube furnace, air flow rates through the tube, size of boat containing solid sodium chloride(NaCl). As the temperature increased, the geometric mean diameter increased and the total number concentration also increased. Dilution with air affected the size distribution of the particles due to coagulation. A smaller sized boat, which has small surface area to contact with air, brings smaller particles of narrow size distribution in comparison of that of a larger boat. Finally, we changed the electrical mobility diameter of aggregate sodium chloride particles by varying relative humidity of dilution air, and obtained non-aggregate sodium chloride particles, which are easy to generate exact monodisperse particles.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.203-215
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the filtration efficiencies and pressure drops of five commercial cloth masks (4 plate type, 1 cup type) in comparison to the performance of a class 1 disposable respirator (reference respirator). A further objective was to evaluate the effects of the number of layers and wash treatment independently on filtration efficiencies and pressure drops. Methods: Polydisperse NaCl aerosols were generated in an aerosol chamber and their concentrations were measured by an optical particle counter (OPC) in the size range of $0.3{\sim}10{\mu}m$ (five channels). Results: The filtration efficiencies of the five cloth masks and the reference respirator were D: 9.5%, C: 18.5%, E: 23.6%, A: 28.5%, B: 29.7% and R: 91.1%, respectively, and the pressure drops through them were C, D: 0.8 Pa, E: 1.7 Pa, B: 6.4 Pa, A: 42.7 Pa and R: 19.3 Pa, respectively. The filtration efficiencies of the cloth masks and reference respirator were below the class 1 respirator criterion (${\geq}94.0%$) of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). The pressure drops satisfied the class 1 respirator criterion (${\leq}70Pa$) of MOEL and MFDS. When the cloth masks were folded into two and four layers, the filtration efficiencies of cloth masks A, B, C, D (plate type) increased 1.7-4.6 times, and 2.3-6.8 times, respectively, compared to the efficiencies of the same products in a single layer. Pressure drops increased as the number of layers was increased. The filtration efficiency of cloth mask E with a liner was 1.3 times higher than that of the same mask without a liner, and the pressure drop was lower in the no-liner configuration. After a single washing, the filtration efficiencies of all the cloth mask products decreased 1.04-4.0 times compared to those of the same products intact. For the cloth masks C and E, their filtration efficiencies were significantly decreased after washing (p<0.05). The pressure drops of all cloth masks were 1.2-2.0 times lower after washing. Conclusions: The filtration efficiencies of the five cloth masks were below 30% and did not improve greatly by increasing the number of layers. After a single washing, their performances decreased. Considering the above and other issues identified with cloth masks, such as poor fit and stretched fibers through use, people should not expect protection against particulate matters from the cloth masks on the market.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2009

A PM10 (aerodynamic diameter${\leq}$10 ${\mu}m$) sampler is used to quantify the potential human exposure to suspended particulate matter (PM) and to comply with the governmental regulation. This study was conducted to compare and evaluate the same PM10 cutpoint and different slopes between United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) PM10 sampling criterion and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists/$Comit\acute{e}$ $Europ\acute{e}en$ de Normalization/International Organization for Standardization thoracic PM10 sampling criterion through theory and experiment. Four PM10 samplers according to the USEPA criterion and one RespiCon sampler in accordance with the thoracic PM10 criterion were used in the present study. In addition, one DustTrak monitor was used to measure real time PM10 mass concentrations. All six aerosol samplers were tested in a PM generation chamber using polydisperse fly ash. Theoretical mass concentrations were calculated by applying the measured particle size distribution characteristics (geometric mean = 6.6 ${\mu}m$, geometric standard deviation = 1.9) of fly ash to each sampling criterion. The measured mass concentrations through a chamber experiment were consistent with theoretical mass concentrations in that a RespiCon sampler with the thoracic PM10 criterion collected less PM than a PM10 sampler with the USEPA criterion. The overall chamber experiment results indicated, when a PM10 sampler was used as a reference sampler, that (1) a RespiCon sampler had a normalizing factor of 1.6, meaning that this sampler underestimated an average 60% of PM10 mass sampled from a PM10 sampler, and (2) a DustTrak real-time monitor using a PM10 inlet had a calibration factor of 2.1.