Avoid Diseases Using Particulate Respirators

Even though an innocuous sight from hospitals to construction areas, particulate respirators certainly are a prime example of technology honed by warfare and military applications, used by every day practical uses by civilians. Particulate respirators are straightforward face masks worn over the mouth and nose which use mechanical means to filter particulates - miniscule components of matter or debris caught in the air, such as saw dust, but also biological air-borne pollutants - out of the air before it is consumed.

Yet another form of supplies for protection to, of course, quench your needs. In sterile environments like a hospital operating room, the contrary is intended: masks are worn to prevent liquid and aerosol debris from the wearer's mouth from dispersing infectious bacteria. In places like Japan, it isn't even unusual for regular people to wear the mask while sick to be able to prevent spreading the cold. Wool is a frequently used material, in addition to plastic, glass, or cellulose, though generally some combination of these materials is used. Particulate respirators are designed to be disposable so the materials used are generally abundant and of very low cost.

Particulate respirators can trace their heritage as far back as World War One, when chemical warfare was employed for the first time on a massive scale. At the 2nd Battle of the Ypres, Germany became the first country to employ chemical weapons in this style, dumping 168 tons of chlorine gas the allied front lines, killing thousands in just minutes.

The British and French would later retaliate with gas attacks of their own, resulting in such appalling casualties on both sides that chemical warfare was subsequently prohibited by the Geneva Convention and is still illegal under the rules of international warfare to this day. Canadian troops were the first to devise a primitive defense against chlorine gas, discovering that urine soaked rags kept them from inhaling the gas.

The ammonia from the urine worked to neutralize the chlorine, protecting their lungs from the searing consequences of the gas. This wasn't the first time respirators had been created. Leonardo Da Vinci even created a respiratory device to defend against another chemical weapon of his own invention. Other inventers and scientists had developed respiratory gadgets for usages in mining operations, but none were so simple as a piece of cloth treated to keep pollutants at bay.

The effective use of chemically treated materials for protective face masks was perfect for applications in construction or repair, where workers are ordinarily confronted by dangerous gaseous substances.

Similarly, another common approach to air filtering was also designed throughout wartime for military application. HEPA filters, a common fixture in almost any house hold air filter, were first developed as part of the Manhattan Project during World War Two. Because HEPA filters can filter 99.97% of all airborne particles .3 micrometers in diameter or larger, their use as a respirator to protect Manhattan Project researchers from inhaling harmful radioactive particles was highly productive. Currently, HEPA filters are used for everything from air purifiers to vacuum cleaners.