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blakemasnor's avatar

What is the best respirator for urban exploring?

Asked by blakemasnor (323points) February 15th, 2008

I’ve seen ads for the N95 and it’s cheap but ve heard of others that cost about forty dollars, what’s the difference?

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3 Answers

gooch's avatar

n 95 is good

gooch's avatar

N95 is HEPA quality it even protects you from TB. It is what we use on the ambulance for airborne diseased patients.the smaller the micron level the better.

Pantyr's avatar

Pardon me for sounding like a troll, but Gooch is a moron who’s talking out of his a$$.

N95 is NOT HEPA quality. Only respirators rated with the number 100 after a letter are as good a particulate respirator as you can get. N100, R100 and P100 have replaced HEPA under new NIOSH standards.

If you’re going to go urban exploring, your main respiratory concern is asbestos (next concern is ammonia from rodent urine, and any chemicals that the place was exposed to over it’s lifetime). Only respirator filters that have the number 100 in their rating can protect you from most of the asbestos. No respirator provides complete protection except for self contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA).

N95 respirators WILL NOT protect you from asbestos.

And N100 respirators provide much better defense against pathogens than the N95.

If you want to learn more, check out Gemplers.com and read up on respirators and what the ratings mean. I recommend the Moldex line of respirators with exhalation valves; it’s so much more comfortable when the hot moist air leaves the mask through a valve instead of being stuck inside the mask where you keep breathing it in.

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