What's the score on masks?

[Dodger]

These masks don't block any carbon monoxide. ZERO!!

I understand...N95 masks weren't designed to block any gases at all, but unspent carbon monoxide contains particulates which are not a gas because of inefficient burning in an engines combustion process. And these particulate can be blocked by these masks to some degree. That's where all the "black shit" that gerefan2 and I are describing comes from.

Below is a link to a recent study showing the advantages of wearing an N95 mask relative to the effectives of CO. The conclusion was that of all three types of masks being tested, such as surgical mask, N95 mask, and carbon mask, were effective to reduce CO levels from air pollution - with the most significant being the N95 and carbon mask. Fabric mask has the poorest protection from CO levels.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7780759/

[goji]

unspent carbon monoxide contains particulates which are not a gas because of inefficient burning in an engines combustion process

Carbon monoxide contains one atom of carbon linked to one atom of oxygen and nothing else. It is a gas, with no particulates.

Now whilst exhaust emissions, particularly from Thai vehicles, will also contain particulates, it does not mean that carbon monoxide contains particulates.

A good FFP2 or FFP3 face mask will remove most of the particulates, but none of the carbon monoxide.

[Dodger]

.

Now whilst exhaust emissions, particularly from Thai vehicles, will also contain particulates, it does not mean that carbon monoxide contains particulates.

It doesn't matter to me where the particles are coming from - as long as they don't get in my lungs.

[goji]

It doesn't matter to me where the particles are coming from - as long as they don't get in my lungs.

On that subject, do you have any air filters in your residence ?

I sort of acquired one in the UK after an ex-tenant abandoned it. Now whilst the air quality here rarely needs it, when there is a problem, such as after the neighbour tried to burn something in the garden, it rapidly reduces the PM2.5 count in the house. As verified by a pocket PM2.5 meter I picked up in Bangkok.

[Dodger]

On that subject, do you have any air filters in your residence ?

No, not yet anyway,

The air quality here in Bang Saray is actually pretty good. It's Jai's cooking with all those chilies that gets to me sometimes

[bkkguy]

It doesn't matter to me where the particles are coming from - as long as they don't get in my lungs.

that is all well and good for you, but it may make a difference for others, and the helpful nerds are not giving you this information to show off their knowledge, they are trying to stop the spread of miss-information

do you understand and accept the point being made or have the nerds failed in their quest and will you keep saying that carbon monoxide contains particulates and the masks filter out some of this carbon monoxide?

[Dodger]

.

...... will you keep saying that carbon monoxide contains particulates and the masks filter out some of this carbon monoxide?

Based on what I've been reading on the subject the past few days, I actually I think it's best to say it this way..."Breathing carbon monoxide can kill you, and the N95 (or carbon masks) can help reduce the CO you're getting in your lungs". How does that sound?

Now remember, I'm not a chemist by any stretch, but I do know when my mask is turning black there's a reason behind it. Do I really care what that reason is? Not particularly (no pun intended). What is my primary concern? Stopping a deadly contaminant from entering my lungs.

Read the link below if you wish to learn more about this topic yourself. .

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7780759/

[goji]

Based on what I've been reading on the subject the past few days, I actually I think it's best to say it this way..."Breathing carbon monoxide can kill you, and the N95 (or carbon masks) can help reduce the CO you're getting in your lungs". How does that sound?

Still inaccurate. There is no "active carbon" in an N95 mask.

The N95(~FFP2) masks are usually made out of polypropylene and are designed to filter particles. The N95 masks do not filter out CO, CO2,O2 or N2.

I'm no expert on this, but even if the mask had activated carbon (which it does not), I'd be very surprised if it removed CO.
Explain that one CO + C = ????

To remove CO, you probably want a platinum catalyst at a few hundred degrees, to oxidize the CO into CO2.

Much better to ignore the CO and wear your N95/FFP2 or better still, N99/FFP3 mask for covid and PM2.5.

[Dodger]

Still inaccurate. There is no "active carbon" in an N95 mask.

Who said there was?

According to what the experts are saying, both the N95 masks and carbon masks can help reduce the CO you're getting in your lungs. No one is saying that N95 masks contain active carbon. I think you may have misinterpreted what I was saying.

The important point as far as I'm concerned is the fact that N95 masks can in fact help reduce the CO you're getting in your lungs. That's what matters to me.

[christianpfc]

Now remember, I'm not a chemist by any stretch,...

But I am a chemist.

The article you quoted is dubious. "Expired CO", do they mean exhaled? I would rather take the article as proof that you can find proof for or against anything on the internet (flat earth, holocaust, aliens, moon landing, you name it).

Activated charcoal works by absorption which is mostly a physical process and works well for some pollutants, but not for CO.

To remove CO at room temperature, there are very specialized filters with complicated metal oxides that oxidize CO to CO2.

Nitrogen in air is N2, oxygen in air is O2, ozone is O3.