Buying Guide: Is Your Mask Effective Enough To Tackle Air Pollution?
As and when the levels of air pollution rise, experts and doctors suggest wearing an air pollution mask while stepping out of the house. Here are five things to keep in mind while buying a mask.
Fit Of The Mask: Explaining the kind of fit required, Dr. Vivek Nangia, Director and Head of Pulmonology at Fortis Hospital, Delhi, says, "It should be snuggly fitted over the nose, mouth and go right below the chin to give the right fit. If there are leaks around and air can seep through then it doesn't make any sense."
Filter Size: Air pollution consists of both suspended particulate matter and gases. While a majority of the masks only filter particulate matter, some possess charcoal filter and are touted to filter out gases. While buying a mask, check particulate matter size a mask can filter that is PM2.5, and PM0.3. "It should preferably be as small the size as possible", tells Dr. Nangia.
Durability: Broadly there are two types of masks available in the market - single-use and washable masks. While single-use masks are disposable in nature typically last for six to eight hours, reusable masks can be washed and their filter can be changed. "We wear a mask for 15-20 minutes everyday and not for eight hours. So depending on your daily usage, you can use a disposable mask for seven to 10 times. After washing, the efficiency of the filter comes down by over 50 per cent and the integrity of the fiber is compromised, says Barun Aggarwal, founder of Breathe Easy Consultants and co-founder at NGO Care For Air.
Quality Check: Just like while buying groceries or medicines one checks the expiry date, while buying a mask, one needs to take a look at its certification. A mask should be certified by a government agency assuring its quality. Since in India, there are no government specifications to certify air pollution mask, one can opt for N95 and N99 masks prescribed quality of masks, as per the American guidelines. "In simpler terms, N95 designation mask means 95 per cent of PM will be prevented from going inside the body. N99 filters claim to prevent 99 per cent of the PM of different levels. The size of the particle matter filtered will vary, depending on the type of mask you buy", says Dr Nangia.
Nearly 20 lakh children live on the streets of India, without an identity, a name to call their own, a place to call home, sleeping on empty stomachs for days and nights. These twenty lakh are children, who have dreams, who have rights, who are our tomorrow. They are living in the shadows today.
During these unprecedented times, not everyone can afford the privilege of social distancing. And not everybody can stay home during the lockdown, simply because they don’t have a home. Those living in poverty are extremely vulnerable, struck with a sudden lack of funds, food, mobility and a struggle for survival. And, as with all humanitarian crises, it is the children who have been affected the most.
It is always the children on the street who are subjected to some of the harshest realities of life. Today they are battling a catastrophic crisis, and it’s time we step in to protect them.
As a part of our COVID-19 response, Save the Children is working across various regions and has already directly reached over 18,000 children and adults to cover their basic needs. The organisation is ensuring their daily needs and their dignity and hygiene are also being cared for. Save the Children has identified 2.5 lakh children in cohorts, across 10 cities in India. Reaching out to these children with emergency relief is a top priority. But this cannot be done alone.
Save the Children and NDTV join hands to bring focus to the lives of children living in street situations. As India fights the Coronavirus, we must not forget one of the most marginalised and excluded groups whose lives have been long ignored – street-connected children. The 21-day campaign will generate public interest and raise funds to ensure these 20 Lakh+ children who live, earn, sleep and eat on our streets are cared for and protected. Amidst the crisis the world is facing, they are most vulnerable, exposed to infection and disease.