Hello.

Twice a day I ride bicycle for 2km along a busy city road (2x2 lanes at 50km/h).

From a health standpoint, is it recommended to wear a face mask (N95)? Does it stop exhaust fumes?

Thank you.

  • edric@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    It would definitely help, but you’ll need the industrial/respirator type that can filter particles small enough in exhaust fumes.

    • ShakeThatYam@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I wonder if this would be a possible use case for the stupid Dyson headphone filter. It uses positive pressure to provide you with filtered air. However, I’m not certain the filter would be enough to clean exhaust fumes.

      Another issue would be that you probably shouldn’t be wearing headphones while biking, but maybe they have a passthrough mode.

      • TurboDiesel@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        From the reviews I’ve seen of it, the Dyson headphones wouldn’t help. I think it was MKBHD that specifically was testing to see if they would block out exhaust fumes and they were next to useless.

        • edric@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          I’d buy it but only for the cyberpunk aesthetic and not for its filter tech, and if it was like a tenth of the price. lol

        • Kalash@feddit.ch
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          1 year ago

          Yeah, I was talking about the former. Electric ones are totally fine.

          But the fromer ones are really super bad. They put out carbon monixide and all kind of dust and shit … micro plastics whatever, fuck you. Point is they are so much worse than you’d think.

          The exhause from those is worse than a diiesel VW with the cheating software disabled.

          • Boozilla@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Agree 100%. They should be banned…some places have already banned them and it’s a spreading idea.

            • Kalash@feddit.ch
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              1 year ago

              If there is one good thing about covid, it’s that I have spare mask lying aroung. I now use a mask whenever I vacuum. There is so much dust you blow in the air. I have two cats. There is cat hair everywhere, the mask can’t hurt.

        • BruceTwarzen@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          I got a dewalt one for pretty cheap since i already had the batteries for it, and i don’t see anything wrong with it. Plenty of power and not a lot of noise.

      • Basilisk@mtgzone.com
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        1 year ago

        The landscape company that maintains the condo I live in uses them exclusively to “clean” the paved common areas and every time they do, the dust blows up into the air, and then 15 minutes after they pass it resettles right back where it came from, while also leaving a fine film of dust on every flat surface in the apartment, as well as small piles of long-accumulated gunk in every corner and crevice. I can’t help but think how much better and quieter this place would be if they just used brooms.

    • ForestOrca@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Cool, the study was done at the University of North Sumatra. I’m adding it to my archive. Thanks!!

      From the Abstract/ Conclusion: “All three type of masks such as surgical mask, N95 mask, and carbon mask was effective to reduce CO levels from air pollution with the most significant was N95 and carbon mask. Fabric mask has the poorest protection from CO levels.”

      I’m surprised at the N95 being effective. And expect the best results would come from a fresh, well fitted, carbon filter. As for myself, I do my best to ride where the motor vehicles are not present. Our town, like many, has a decent bike/ walking trail system.

      • Boozilla@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        As a former paintball player, I do know what you’re talking about. There are solutions for this problem, but they’re kind of a nuisance. Your lungs may be worth the nuisance.

        • peopleproblems@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Heh. I have to wear glasses and play woodsball, so I journeyed high and low for a solution.

          I have not found one, even rigged up my own attempts and nothing.

    • Sagrotan@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I don’t know, but I guess that depends on the specific person, I biked for 10 years through the city, 7km one way, 7km back in the evening, summer, winter, never had respiratory problems, still got none about 7 years later, my problems started when I stopped. I actually gained substantially weight :) true story. Weight’s gone, but what a fight it was.

  • fubo@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    An N95 mask catches particulates, not vapors; so it won’t do anything for gasoline vapors or other hydrocarbons, monoxide, nitrogen oxides, or sulfur oxides. It will do something for exhaust particulates and kicked-up dust.

  • _haha_oh_wow_@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Won’t stop fumes but it will stop a bunch of particulate pollution and prevent you from accidentally eating bugs!

  • PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It would be incredibly difficult to bike with a real n95 quality mask. You would definitely have to get one with exhaust valves for exhalation.

    • Schorsch@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      I use a FFP3-Mask with exhaust valves while biking in spring and early summer to filter out pollen and this works really well for me!

      Masks without valves are exhausting to me and fog up my glasses too much though.

  • inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    N95 is the minimum, p100 with organic vapor filter will be better, to get the best you coverage you’ll need a p100 with a multi gas charcoal filter.

    With the p100, your looking at a half mask respirator, which I did use during the pandemic and took a 5k run with it. While not impossible, it was harder and for me pretty uncomfortable.

  • KaiReeve@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Oxygenation may be a concern, depending on how winded you get. I’m not saying that you’ll pass out or anything so dramatic, but studies have shown that even mild hypoxia can effect our ability to make complex decisions, which may be an issue when biking in traffic.

    • TheChurn@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Those without respiratory issues don’t have oxygenation issues while wearing masks.

      The same air is going into your lungs, the only difference is your diaphragm has to work harder due to the filtering effect of the mask. If it can’t manage that, then you are likely already on oxygen due to low tidal volume and chronic hypoxia.

      You can buy a pulse oximeter from CVS for like $20 and test this yourself if you don’t believe me.

      • max@feddit.nl
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        1 year ago

        As much as I hated that excuse during the pandemic, I think I’d have trouble breathing when wearing an FFP3/N95 mask while cycling. Granted, I’m talking about cycling as a sport, not for commuting (though I tend to have a decent speed while commuting). Going 30 km/h I really need my air to keep it up.