When I receive a mask at work, I put it on right away. Every breath taken for the rest of that day is through that mask. I, like everyone else, just assumes the mask is protecting my health, but is that true? How do we know what materials we are breathing in as it passes through the mask? Are there residue fibers, or worse yet, toxic chemical traces being inhaled? When you look at your mask or the box that it came in, does it say what standards the product complies with? My water filters do, why shouldn't my mask?
Here's the problem: In a rush to get masks to people there is a lack of concern as to the quality or the source of the masks. Many of these masks are made in China by small time operators who likely operate with no regulatory oversight. I'm sure medical personnel are using quality masks made by legitimate suppliers like 3M, but what about the rest of us?
In 3 years, are we going to find out that many of us have respiratory illnesses caused by breathing in fibers or toxic fumes from masks that we thought were protecting us? Are the ambulance chasers gearing up for this effort as we speak? I can envision the billboards on the 605 as I write this....
Here's the problem: In a rush to get masks to people there is a lack of concern as to the quality or the source of the masks. Many of these masks are made in China by small time operators who likely operate with no regulatory oversight. I'm sure medical personnel are using quality masks made by legitimate suppliers like 3M, but what about the rest of us?
In 3 years, are we going to find out that many of us have respiratory illnesses caused by breathing in fibers or toxic fumes from masks that we thought were protecting us? Are the ambulance chasers gearing up for this effort as we speak? I can envision the billboards on the 605 as I write this....
The truth lies somewhere between CNN and Fox.
