- A study published in April found disposable masks can have toxic chemicals
- Experts said this could make newly instated mask mandates ineffective
The surgical N95 mask has been held up as the gold standard when it comes to protecting against Covid. Over 500 published and reviewed medical reports dispute any effectiveness at all and some say they cause more infections.
A study quietly re-shared by the National Institutes of Health in spring suggests the tight-fitting mask may expose users to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals. Researchers from Jeonbuk National University in South Korea looked at two types of disposable medical-grade masks, as well as several reusable cotton masks.
The study found that the chemicals released by these masks had eight times the recommended safety limit of toxic volatile organic compounds (TVOCs). Inhaling TVOCs has been linked to health issues like headaches and nausea, while prolonged and repeated has been linked to organ damage and even cancer.
‘It is clear that particular attention must be paid to the VOCs associated with the use of KF94 [medical] masks their effects on human health,’ the researchers wrote in the study published April.
The study was published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety and on the NIH’s website.
In the latest study, researchers tested 14 disposable and cloth masks purchased online by measuring the amount of TVOCs in them. The disposable masks were KFAD and KF94 models, which were made from thermoplastics polypropylene and polyurethane nylon.
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