Skip to main content
 

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Editor's Commentary
    • Archives
    • Most-Read Papers of 2022
  • Authors
    • Author Guidelines
    • Submit a Manuscript
  • Reviewers
    • Reviewer Information
    • Create Reviewer Account
    • Reviewer Guidelines: Original Research
    • Reviewer Guidelines: Reviews
    • Appreciation of Reviewers
  • CRCE
    • Through the Journal
    • JournalCasts
    • AARC University
    • PowerPoint Template
  • Open Forum
    • 2023 Call for Abstracts
    • 2022 Abstracts
    • Previous Open Forums
  • Podcast
    • English
    • Español
    • Portugûes
    • 国语
  • Videos
    • Video Abstracts
    • Author Interviews
    • Highlighted Articles
    • The Journal

User menu

  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Association for Respiratory Care
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
American Association for Respiratory Care

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Editor's Commentary
    • Archives
    • Most-Read Papers of 2022
  • Authors
    • Author Guidelines
    • Submit a Manuscript
  • Reviewers
    • Reviewer Information
    • Create Reviewer Account
    • Reviewer Guidelines: Original Research
    • Reviewer Guidelines: Reviews
    • Appreciation of Reviewers
  • CRCE
    • Through the Journal
    • JournalCasts
    • AARC University
    • PowerPoint Template
  • Open Forum
    • 2023 Call for Abstracts
    • 2022 Abstracts
    • Previous Open Forums
  • Podcast
    • English
    • Español
    • Portugûes
    • 国语
  • Videos
    • Video Abstracts
    • Author Interviews
    • Highlighted Articles
    • The Journal
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
Research ArticleOriginal Contributions

Wearing an N95 Respirator Concurrently With a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator: Effect on Protection Factor

Marc R Roberge, Mark R Vojtko, Raymond J Roberge, Richard J Vojtko and Douglas P Landsittel
Respiratory Care December 2008, 53 (12) 1685-1690;
Marc R Roberge
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Mark R Vojtko
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Raymond J Roberge
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Richard J Vojtko
EG&G Inc
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Douglas P Landsittel
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Department of Mathematics, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine if using an N95 filtering face-piece respirator concurrently with a loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) offers additional protection to the wearer.

METHODS: We used a breathing mannequin programmed to deliver minute volumes of 25 L/min and 40 L/min. We measured the baseline protection factor of the PAPR with its motor operational and then deactivated (to simulate mechanical or battery failure). We tested 3 replicates of 3 different N95 models. We glued each N95 to the breathing mannequin and obtained a minimum protection factor of 100 at 25 L/min. We then placed the PAPR on the mannequin and took protection factor measurements with the N95-plus-PAPR combination, at 25 L/min and 40 L/min, with the PAPR operational and then deactivated.

RESULTS: The N95 significantly increased the PAPR's protection factor, even with the PAPR deactivated. The effect was multiplicative, not merely additive.

CONCLUSIONS: An N95 decreases the concentration of airborne particles inspired by the wearer of a PAPR.

  • N95
  • respirator
  • powered air-purifying respirator
  • protection factor

Footnotes

  • Correspondence: Raymond J Roberge MD MPH, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PO Box 18070, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh PA 15236. Email: dtn0{at}cdc.gov.
  • The authors report no conflicts of interest related to the content of this paper.

  • The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

  • Copyright © 2008 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Respiratory Care: 53 (12)
Respiratory Care
Vol. 53, Issue 12
1 Dec 2008
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Cover (PDF)
  • Index by author

 

Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Association for Respiratory Care.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Wearing an N95 Respirator Concurrently With a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator: Effect on Protection Factor
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Association for Respiratory Care
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Association for Respiratory Care web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Wearing an N95 Respirator Concurrently With a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator: Effect on Protection Factor
Marc R Roberge, Mark R Vojtko, Raymond J Roberge, Richard J Vojtko, Douglas P Landsittel
Respiratory Care Dec 2008, 53 (12) 1685-1690;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

Share
Wearing an N95 Respirator Concurrently With a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator: Effect on Protection Factor
Marc R Roberge, Mark R Vojtko, Raymond J Roberge, Richard J Vojtko, Douglas P Landsittel
Respiratory Care Dec 2008, 53 (12) 1685-1690;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

Cited By...

Keywords

  • N95
  • respirator
  • powered air-purifying respirator
  • protection factor

Info For

  • Subscribers
  • Institutions
  • Advertisers

About Us

  • About the Journal
  • Editorial Board

AARC

  • Membership
  • Meetings
  • Clinical Practice Guidelines

More

  • Contact Us
  • RSS
American Association for Respiratory Care

Print ISSN: 0020-1324        Online ISSN: 1943-3654

© Daedalus Enterprises, Inc.

Powered by HighWire