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AirZ covid powered respirator for shop use?

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https://www.touchofmodern.com/sales...z-a90de4a5-2078-41c9-9e3b-331d58551cd9?open=1
I wear an N95 in the supermarket and have minor breathing discomfort after awhile.
I came across this Add and was wondering if I could use this in the shop as well. It’s 80 bucks delivered, weighs about 4 ounces and battery life around 5 hours. They claim in conforms to bio hazard standard AST2101 which I think limits biological organisms of 1 to 5 microns 3 microns average. I just don’t know how to equate this to N95 industrial standards. I wanted to through this out there for discussion. Could we have an inexpensive power respirator solution?
What are your thoughts? I have not purchased this yet, would you?
 
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N95 filters out at least 95% of .3 microns. A naked Covid particle is around .1 microns, but is almost always bonded to some other kind of particle like water or mucus in the wild. True airborne particles holding Covid are all larger. But if you powered mask blocks an average of 3 microns, I'm guessing some Covid will get through. Bill Pentz did a lot of research on small particle dust injury. He describes the under 5 micron dust as the real health hazard as it goes deep into our lungs and stays there.
 

odie

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Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
https://www.touchofmodern.com/sales...z-a90de4a5-2078-41c9-9e3b-331d58551cd9?open=1
I wear an N95 in the supermarket and have minor breathing discomfort after awhile.
I came across this Add and was wondering if I could use this in the shop as well. It’s 80 bucks delivered, weighs about 4 ounces and battery life around 5 hours. They claim in conforms to bio hazard standard AST2101 which I think limits biological organisms of 1 to 5 microns 3 microns average. I just don’t know how to equate this to N95 industrial standards. I wanted to through this out there for discussion. Could we have an inexpensive power respirator solution?
What are your thoughts? I have not purchased this yet, would you?

Interesting!......my thoughts on the size of the filter were the same as Dave mentioned.

Now, if the resp-o-rator outfit came up with a powered mask like that, along with the filters they use for their product, I'd be very interested. :D

Let us know if you buy one, and be sure to give us your review. :)

-----odie-----
 
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Seems odd they designed the system to hang all the weight off your ears. I’m guessing that you might get less that what you pay for with this device. Just my gut feeling especially without any trusted reviews.
 

Bill Boehme

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Says it only filters the intake air, which makes it totally unsuitable for protecting others - which is the main point of wearing a mask for COVID.

I imagine that small filter would clog pretty quick if you used it while sanding.

I fully agree. I have a box of 3M 8511 N95 masks, but don't wear them in public because they have an exhalation valve which means that they are designed to protect the wearer and not other people. They're great for protecting the wearer who is working in a dusty environment, but it's not the right kind of mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

My opinion is that the AirZ is worthless for any serious use.

Not that I currently need any filters, but I have been looking online for replacement filters for my two powered respirators as well as N95 and P100 dust masks and the only ones that I have found are the ones for my 3M Airstream powered respirator. The prices have gone sky high on all filters. Fortunately, I have enough filters for use in the shop to last for several years.
 
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FYI:

ASTM International is providing no-cost public access to important ASTM standards used in the production and testing of personal protective equipment. (www.astm.org)

I wouldn't trust these masks unless the manufacturer could supply test data or they came from a reputable source (like 3M). My hunch is that any inquiries would be ignored, and if they got too much attention, they'd stop selling them.

Another thing to remember is that anything with moving parts (such as a fan) is likely to GENERATE particulates that could be inhaled.
 
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