• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 1999

This study was conducted to evaluate workplace protection factors(WPF) for two half-facepiece respirators (HR-1, HR-2) in welding workplace and to provide data on the workplace performance of negative-pressure, half-facepiece respirators against airborne particulate contaminants. The outside iron oxide(Fe2O3) concentration of welding fume for the respirator HR-1 ranged from 0.177 to $12.508mg/m^3$ with a geometric mean of $1.118mg/m^3$ and the HR-2 respirator showed a iron oxide range of 0.500 to $3.494mg/m^3$ with a geometric mean of $1.082mg/m^3$. But the inside oxide concentration of welding fume for the respirator HR-1 ranged from 0.002 to $0.364mg/m^3$ with a geometric mean of $0.019mg/m^3$ and the HR-2 respirator showed a iron oxide range of 0.012 to $0.639mg/m^3$ with a geometric mean of $0.041mg/m^3$. The iron oxide inside concentrations were significantly less than $5mg/m^3$(TLV) for both of respirators. The WPF were ranged from 3 to 3744 with a geometric mean of 60 for HR-1 and range from 2 to 129 a geometric mean of 26 for HR-2. And, in this study, the 5th percentile of the workplace protection factors for half-facepiece aspirators (HR-1, HR-2) were 11.2 and 7.1, respectively. The correlation relationship between the Quantative Fit Factors(QNFT) and the WPF for half-mask negative pressure respirators were 0.099 and 0.460.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.176-186
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• 1996

The fit of a respirator to the face of an individual can be determined by a qualitative fit test (QLFT) or a quantitative fit test (QNFT). The pass/fail decision from a QLFT or QNFT for the same respirator on the same individual may vary from one wearing to the next, because the human facial features are complex and the respirator may not fit to the face in the same way every time it is worn. This study reports how the fit factors (FF) resulting from a QNFT on an individual vary from day to day and depend on the movements in the six fit test exercises. The reported FFs provide an objective and numerical basis (FF) which does not depend on the subject's voluntary or involuntary response. Four half-mask (H1-H4) and four full-facepiece respirators (F1-F4) were fit tested on one wearer 10 times a day for 5 days with a PortaCount (model 8010, TSI). The FFs obtained for each set of 10 fit tests on a specific day and 50 fit tests on five days involving one of the six exercise regimes have been recorded as log-normal distributions. All of the geometric standard deviations (GSD) of the overall FFs varied widely among every wearing and day except for H1 and F3, and the variability of the half-mask respirators was larger than that of the full-facepiece respirators. Among the six exercise regimes, reading or talking (RT) had markedly the lowest exercise FFs on the tested individual. Generally, there were significant differences between the first normal breathing (NB1) FFs and the remaining exercise FFs.

• 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.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.457-466
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• 2023

Background: During hot environment work tasks with whole-body enclosed anti-bioaerosol suit, the combined effect of heavy sweating and exhaled hot humid air may cause the N95 medical respirator to saturate with water/sweat (i.e., water-blocking). Methods: 32 young male subjects with different body mass indexes (BMI) in whole-body protection (N95 medical respirator + one-piece protective suit + head covering + protective face screen + gloves + shoe covers) were asked to simulate waste collecting from each isolated room in a seven-story building at 27-28℃, and the weight, inhalation resistance (R_f), and aerosol penetration of the respirator before worn and after water-blocking were analyzed. Results: All subjects reported water-blocking asphyxia of the N95 respirators within 36-67 min of the task. When water-blocking occurred, the R_f and 10-200 nm total aerosol penetration (P_t) of the respirators reached up to 1270-1810 Pa and 17.3-23.3%, respectively, which were 10 and 8 times of that before wearing. The most penetration particle size of the respirators increased from 49-65 nm before worn to 115-154 nm under water-blocking condition, and the corresponding maximum size-dependent aerosol penetration increased from 2.5-3.5% to 20-27%. With the increase of BMI, the water-blocking occurrence time firstly increased then reduced, while the R_f, P_t, and absorbed water all increased significantly. Conclusions: This study reveals respirator water-blocking and its serious negative impacts on respiratory protection. When performing moderate-to-high-load tasks with whole-body protection in a hot environment, it is recommended that respirator be replaced with a new one at least every hour to avoid water-blocking asphyxia.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 1996

This study was conducted to evaluate breakthrough characteristics of respirator cartridge using multi-organic vapors, including carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, and toluene. The organic vapors were used as single phase, binary system, and ternary system. The results are summarized as follows. 1. Organic vapors studied were 1,000 ppm, 750 ppm, 500 ppm and 250 ppm in single phase. Carbon tetrachloride having the highest molecular weight showed the breakthrough first, and breakthrough sequency by organic vapor was dependent on its molecular weight. The 10% breakthrough times at 1,000 ppm of organic vapor were 97 minutes for carbon tetrachloride, 129 minutes for trichloroethylene and 135 minutes for toluene. 2. When concentrations of organic vapors were at levels of the Threshold Limit Values, the lives of the respirator cartridges were 122 hours in carbon tetrachloride, 18 hours in trichloroethylene and 28 hours in toluene. 3. In the binary system at a total concentration of 1,000 ppm with carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene, breakthrough times ranged from 104 minutes to 125 minutes, which were longer than 97 minutes in a single phase (1,000 ppm) for carbon tetrachloride, but shorter than breakthrough times for TCE and Toluene. 4. Breakthrough times in the binary system with carbon tetrachloride and toluene were 131~132 minutes. 5. Breakthrough times in the ternary system with carbon tetrachloride, toluene, and trichloroethyl ene were $120{\pm}8$ minutes, which were longer than 97 minutes in the single phase (1,000 ppm) for carbon tetrachloride, equal to 129 minutes for trichloroethylene, and shorter than 135 minutes for toluene. Those were almost similar to $124{\pm}9$ minutes of breakthrough times in the binary systems.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.180-188
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• 1994

This study was designed to investigate qualitatively whether respirators now being used in workplaces tit workers iflfaces well or not. Leak sites were determined after exposing the subjects to fluorescent aerosol and were analyzed by gender, brand and manufacturing nation. The results were as follows ; 1. Among those leak sites which were classified into four areas(nose, cheek, lip and chin), test aerosol was mostly deposited on the nose and the cheek areas. 2. The mean number of leak sites observed from the female subjects were 2.3 while the number were 2.2 from the male subjects. The most frequently observed leak site was nose and followed by chin, lip and cheek in descending order of frequency. 3. Among different brands of respirators, different leak sites were observed. Test subjects wearing the Sand N brands were more heavily exposed than those of wearing the D and M brands. 4. No significant difference of the number of leak sites were found between Korean-made and American-made masks. However, the most frequent leak site observed for the Korean-made ones was the nose area while it was the chin area for the American-made ones. 5. Analyses of 97 leak sites by shape showed that 27(27.8%) were point types, 54(55.7%) diffuse types and 16(16.5%) streamline types. 6. Test subjects indicated that the facepieces of Korean-made respirators were harder and smaller in size than those of American-made one. The most comfortable respirator selected was the respirator by the N Co. and the most uncomfortable one was the respirator by the D Co. This study suggests that many half-mask respirators now being used in the workplaces may not fit to workers well. Therefore, when selecting respirators, employers are advised to test respirators if they fit to workers well. And manufacturers are recommended to produce effective and comfortable respirators tested qualitatively and quantitatively not only in the laboratory but also in the field.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1999

Even though there is no fit test regulations in Korea, in many developed countries, respirator fit testing is required before entering specific work environment to ensure that the respirator worn satisfies a minimum of fit and that the user knows when the respirator fits properly. Due to no regulation for fit test, a lot of Korean workers wearing respirators may be potentially exposed to hazards. Anthropometric test panels for testing the fit of respirators are very important to develop respirators fitted properly for Korean workers. To evaluate the fitting performance, 304 workers (272 males, 32 females) and 536 students (268 male, 268 females) were fit tested for 4 full-facepieces (2 domestic-made S, C, and 2 foreign-made T, N), 2 half masks (1 domestic-made S, and 1 foreign-made T) and 3 quarter masks (2 domestic-made S, C, and 1 foreign-made T) with PortaCount 8020. Fit factors of foreign-made masks were higher than those of domestic-made masks in all types. Males were fitted more properly than females. A facial dimension survey of 364 workers (339 males, 25 females) and 158 students (69 males, 89 females) was conducted to develop test panels for fit testing. Subjects were selected on the basis of face length and face width to wear full-facepiece masks in test. For testing half- and quarter masks, face length and lip length were used. Test panels containing 25 male-and-female subjects and 16 male subjects were respectively developed for full-facepiece, and half-and quarter masks to represent a majority of population surveyed.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.1-14
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• 2022

This study is a plan on the way to strengthen the survival ability by increasing the use time of air respirator by applying emergency breathing method in the situation where firefighter has to wait for RIT (Rapid Intervention Teams) because it is impossible to escape by himself or emergency escape during isolation during field activities. The research procedure first drew problems by conducting a survey on fire fighters under the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, and conducted an experiment to compare normal breathing and emergency breathing with 20 members of the Seoul 119 Special Rescue Team, and suggested emergency breathing method and training process modeling that can be applied to each field situation based on the data obtained. The experiment was conducted over 9 weeks, and it was divided into three categories: field activity situation, movement (emergency escape assumption) situation, and place (assume waiting for RIT). In the field activity situation experiment, it was confirmed that the application of skip breathing method was appropriate and the use time of air respirator increased about 1.6 ~ 1.9 times. In the moving situation or the in-situ situation, wheel breathing method was appropriate and the use time of air respirator increased about 1.6 ~ 2.4 times. However, when conducting intense activities in the field activity situation, it is recommended to use it limitedly because it is difficult to apply the emergency breathing method. If emergency breathing is not clearly learned in the body, it is difficult to use in the field, so I think systematic and continuous training is necessary. This study suggests that the application of emergency breathing method is effective enough to strengthen the survival ability of firefighters in the field.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.19-31
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• 1999

Most breakthrough tests are conducted at higher concentration levels compared to those in the field of air-purifying respirator applications. For example, typical challenge concentrations for breakthrough tests agains tcarbon tetrachloride are ranged between 250-1000 ppm although applicable concentrations range for air-purifying cartridge is 5-50 ppm for carbon tetrachloride. However, no guarantee has been made that isotherms derived from the experiment at high challenge concentrations could estimate adsorption capacity at the lower concentration range where workers wear usually air-purifying respirators. Three models of adsorption isotherms (Freundlich, Langmuir and Dubinin/Radushkevich(D/R) isotherms) that have been commonly applied for respirator cartridge testing were evaluated. Adsorption capacity at each challenge concentration was calculated from the Reaction Kinetic equation fitted for the breakthrough data. These data were used for derivation of three isotherms. In general, the D/R isotherm has given the best agreement between estimated adsorption capacities and experimentally measured. If the challenge concentration of 100 ppm is included for derivation of models, Freundlich and D/R models could succes sfully produced good estimations for adsorption capacities at 50 ppm level. Estimated adsorption capacities by both models ranged in 94 - 109 % of the experimentally measured. However, Langmuir model gives underes timation in all cases.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.367-376
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• 2016

Objectives: The production and use of nanoparticles have been increased. In 2014 Workplace Survey Results, 335 companies produce and treat nanoparticls. However, lack of data on nano-toxicity and a method for risk management and regulation on nanoparticles and the standard test method are not sufficient. Protective equipment selection guidelines for nanoparticles are not established. It is required to carry out respirator efficiency test against nanoparticles. This study was performed to evaluate filtration efficiency and manikin-based total inward leakage of particle filtering mask using in Korean country challenged with silver nanoparticles. Methods: We investigated filtration efficiency and total inward leakage of 7 respirator with silver nanoparticle. Results: The geometric mean diameters of Silver nanoparticles were 30 nm and number concentration were about $10^6{\sharp}/cm^3$. Filtration efficiency of six of the seven particle filtering masks was more than 98% and one particle filtering masks filtration efficiency was 94.9%. The filtration efficiency of particle filtering masks to 20 nm silver nanoparticels was highest. Artificial breathing machine with manikin based total inward leakage were 7.6% ~ 42.3%. Conclusions: The results of this study nano-silver filter efficiency was high but the total inward leakage was higher than filter penetration. Therefore, education on how to wear a respirator should be demanded. Especially for workers handling nanoparticles and toxic material, user seal checking and fit test must be performed.