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UER Forum > Archived UE Tutorials, Lessons, and Useful Info > A question about filters (Viewed 867 times) galvinator89   |  A question about filters < on 4/7/2010 2:53 AM >   I remember reading a while back that the filters in most army surplus gas masks are expired and won't protect you against certain gasses and chemicals, but even if they are expired will still protect against particles. If this is true does it mean that an expired filter will protect against dust, asbestos and mould? I'm primarily concerned about mould. Any help would be great. bfinan0  Location: Rochester, NY Gender: Male  |  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 1 on 4/7/2010 2:54 AM >   Posted by galvinator89 I remember reading a while back that the filters in most army surplus gas masks are expired and won't protect you against certain gasses and chemicals, but even if they are expired will still protect against particles. If this is true does it mean that an expired filter will protect against dust, asbestos and mould? I'm primarily concerned about mould. Any help would be great. Dust, asbestous and mould are all particles, and if the gas mask protected against them to begin with, it would continue to. The only ways a particle filter can fail are to not have a good seal around it, or to be so clogged with particulates that it filtered out, as to be difficult to breathe through. bonnie&clyde  Location: 510 & 415 Cleverly disguised as responsible adults  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 2 on 4/7/2010 4:42 AM >   Gas masks are hot. Full face to also protect the eyes from gas. For long periods I would think it would be fatiguing. Do to how hot they get, also the condensation fogs the glass. A decent 1/2 face respirator can be worn for much longer periods do to their comfort level. [last edit 4/7/2010 4:44 AM by bonnie&clyde - edited 1 times] The question is not when are we gonna stop, It's who's gonna stop us? galvinator89   |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 3 on 4/8/2010 5:07 AM >   Ok thanks, that answers my question perfectly, looks like I'll be able to use the masks I already have. As for half-face masks, I'm stuck with full-faced army surplus gas masks, I already have them and can't afford to buy a new mask. Also full-faced masks do offer eye protection, which I have found to be a useful thing in the past. hilite  Gender: Male don't destroy my sweater....  |  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 4 on 4/9/2010 4:33 PM >   Are those filters rated against mold and asbestos to begin with? I know they can block radioactive particles at al., but does that mean they can stop other things? The one I know uses a carbon filter, which if deteriorates is not very effective. And when you finally disappear, We'll just say you were never here. steponmebbbboom  *NSFW*  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 5 on 4/9/2010 7:47 PM >   Posted by galvinator89 Ok thanks, that answers my question perfectly, looks like I'll be able to use the masks I already have. As for half-face masks, I'm stuck with full-faced army surplus gas masks, I already have them and can't afford to buy a new mask. Also full-faced masks do offer eye protection, which I have found to be a useful thing in the past. perhaps im just stating the obvious, or maybe it's so obvious no one is really seeing it? But i tell you one thing, if im skulking around inside an abandoned building and shine my flashlight on a guy wearing one of these, Im gonna crap my pants. And even after the shock wears off Im gonna be staring at you wondering if youre going to pull a ball-gag out of your back pocket and start chasing me around the place with it. No one wears those things anymore and the last thing you want to do (in my opinion) is go into a place where anyone youre likely to meet is high-strung and on full alert for crazies looking like you just stepped out of a BDSM torture chamber... or an alien about to suck my brain out of my nostrils. At least with a half-mask i can look you in the eye properly. Nothing personal, I just think youre more likely to get shot or stabbed wearing one of those than get sick on toxic dust wearing nothing. Mentos... The Freshmaker AnAppleSnail  Location: Charlotte, NC Gender: Male ALL the flashlights!  |  |  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 6 on 4/9/2010 9:18 PM >   Posted by steponmebbbboom pull a ball-gag out of your back pocket Nobody with a gas mask and ball gag would wear pockets. Achievement Unlocked Obliterator  Location: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain // Madrid, Spain Gender: Male  |  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 7 on 4/10/2010 9:49 PM >   Posted by steponmebbbboom Nothing personal, I just think youre more likely to get shot or stabbed wearing one of those than get sick on toxic dust wearing nothing. Exactly as the he said. Dear galvinator, I've been so edgy I've gone ballistics on people who decided it would be funny to light their torches at me comming from the middle of a dark place. Just imagine what would happen if I see someone with a WWII gas mask. Not only other fellow explorers could freak, but most importantly: Cops. Yes sir, those are not going to risk it and have a gun. I think you are better off with a medium face mask or if you can't afford one, better not stick in places where you need one for the moment. Louie   |  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 8 on 4/12/2010 7:05 PM >   Repeat after me: P100. Also, cartridges that are P100 + Organic filter will knock out most smells like bird poop, mold, etc. Save your gas mask for when chemical warfare comes back in style... Or hook up a bong to it. But theyre pretty stupid for exploring Cowboy  Location: Nashville, TN Gender: Male  |  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 9 on 4/12/2010 7:44 PM >   Posted by Louie http://ecx.images-...._SL500_AA280_.jpg Repeat after me: P100. Also, cartridges that are P100 + Organic filter will knock out most smells like bird poop, mold, etc. Save your gas mask for when chemical warfare comes back in style... Or hook up a bong to it. But theyre pretty stupid for exploring Bong is a good idea! But i always use a 3m respirator with dust cartridges or the organic cartridges. All in all if your using a old gas mask it's seal might be worn out and there for will be letting in normal air with what ever else is mixed in. Also if you have a beard and cant get a good seal to your face you might as well not wear one at all. A 3m 6000 series with out cartridges costs $12. Cartridges, p100 dust filters are $10 and organic ones are $21. In my opinion 40 bucks is worth not getting cancer. All tho ill probably get it any wase since i smoke cigarettes. Trap  Location: Dayton, Ohio Gender: Male Son, I am disappoint  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 10 on 4/17/2010 12:16 AM >   I have a couple of gas masks that ive used when we have a party with more people than respirators. They are usually p100 equivelent as far as the particulate part goes, and that never expires because its made of cloth/paper. The activated charcoal is what will expire and once that does then you are no longer safe from gas, but it will still work against asbestos and mold. Also it's helpful if you want to save the extra step of editing out your face before posting pictures to teh inerwebz Posted by Send4Help: ITS EIGHT FUCKING THIRTY!! Sigfather  Location: Groton, Connecticut, United States Gender: Male  |  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 11 on 4/21/2010 12:01 AM >   On another note, if you're dead set on a gas mask, you can do better than the WW2, tiny field of view, full head BDSM props. Ask an army surplus place if they have any US MCU/2P masks. They're particulate safe, but cover less of your head (hence cooler to wear), and the field of view is a big plastic pane from the nose up, rather than two little eyeports. Or, conversely, you could just buy the respirator. "Thrice happy is the nation that has a glorious history. Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt Phaedrus1982  Location: London Ontario Gender: Male  |  Re: A question about filters <Reply # 12 on 4/21/2010 4:47 PM >   Posted by Louie http://ecx.images-...._SL500_AA280_.jpg Repeat after me: P100. Also, cartridges that are P100 + Organic filter will knock out most smells like bird poop, mold, etc. Save your gas mask for when chemical warfare comes back in style... Or hook up a bong to it. But theyre pretty stupid for exploring Agreed. These things work very well. The most important thing being: They are certified to CURRENT safety standards for HIGH exposure to particulate. Do you really want to be wearing something that THEORETICALLY was up to safety standards in 1950 - 1980 (but each individual unit probably did NOT get safety inspected), or do you want something that is approved in Canada and the US for industrial use NOW, and which you know for a fact each unit is tested before factory release? I have used these on the job. The nice thing is that they provide a reasonably high air flow rate. . . ie if your heart rate gets up, you won't have to pull it off. This is something to consider: Some filters DRASTICALLY reduce your maximum respiration rate. You will look like an IDIOT, but I would really recommend jumping on a treadmill, or grabbing a skipping rope, and working out with your mask on for a few minutes. If you can just barely get enough air sitting in a chair, you are going to end up pulling your mask off to catch your breath in the middle of a mold infested factory after climbing a large set of stairs. Quiz Time: When your cardiovascular rate and tidal volume (amount of air you breath on each breath) increase, the potential for damage from inhalants and particulate: A - Decreases B - Increases C - Remains constant D - The French Revolution Don't get stuck somewhere wearing a mask that you have to take off if your heart rate goes up. You will do more damage to your lungs in those couple minutes catching your breath than you would walking around without a mask on in there for a couple hours. Test your mask first for high(er) heart rate use. Note that I'm not aware of ANY mask that you could wear that would carry you through a run or something where your heart rate gets really high. But you should be able to jog up a flight of stairs, or run across a large room, or lift and move something heavy, etc, and be OK. There is no 'set' test; the fact is you should be able to do with the mask on what you think you might need to do on your trip. Keep paying attention to this, and testing it, over time. As you use the filter, it will slowly fill with particulate and the resistance will increase over time until you can't breath through it at all. How long it lasts depends on how much dust you expose it to. You are NOT invincible wearing it; try to avoid heavy dust clouds and stirring up dust. Eventually, your filter will become clogged enough that you notice an increase in resistance to the point that you can't breath as fast as you want to be able to (doing your stair climb/jog/whatever test). NEVER attempt to clean a filter to extend it's life, using ANY method, unless the manufacturer specifically says you can. Liquids can soften and destroy certain filters, and compressed air/gas can accelerate dust and blow holes right through it. If you have a filter that you have tried to clean by a method not approved by the manufacturer, GET RID OF IT. Air follows the path of least resistance. If you blow a 'a few' holes in your filter, ALL of the air will run through those holes, not some through them and some through the filter. You might as well walk around with a pasta strainer on your face; it's not doing anything. EDIT: ALSO, VERY IMPORTANT! Follow the MANUFACTURER'S OR SUPPLIERS directions for leak-testing your mask. If your mask is leaking, you are NOT protected. If you do not have manufacturer's or supplier's directions for leak testing your mask, get some. If you can not get some, DO NOT WEAR THE MASK, it's just a face decoration if you can't be sure it is not leaking. The reason this is not just important, but EXTREMELY important is that ANY type of filter causes resistance to air flow. Through any leak, the air resistance is near zero (limited only by it's size). Therefore, even a small leak will draw a HUGE amount of air through it, because it is easier for the air to flow through the leak than to move through the filters. Therefore, if you have a tiny leak, the truth is not "Oh well, it's a tiny leak, I'm still filtering like 99% of the air I'm breathing", but rather "Oh damn. Because I have that leak, like 99% of the air I'm breathing is coming through there, and is not filtered." As Louie said: ALL army surplus masks are useless. EVEN NEWER ONES. The filters need to be replaced every few weeks depending on frequency of use, and the filters need to be within their expected shelf life. By all means, if you were lucky enough to find a new model army mask WITH a pack of new filters that are definitely still good, AND a set of instructions on how to maintain, test, and use the mask, go ahead and use it. Otherwise, get rid of it. They are cool items, but will not help you. 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