Effectiveness of different facemask materials to combat transmission of airborne diseases

Prudhvi Krishna, M; Babalola, Simeon A; Dutta, Samik; Chakraborty, Shitanshu Shekhar; Thangadurai, Murugan; Roy, Himadri; Mandal, Nilrudra; Hirani, Harish; Roy, Poulomi

The pandemic COVID-19, caused by SARS-COV-2 virus has shaken the entire world with no such remedy till date. The only possible way to stop transmission of SARS-COV-2 is to take safety precautions including use of facemask. With the ever-increasing concern on the disease, it is necessary to choose facemask components to achieve the performance as good as commercially available N95 masks in a cost-effective way. This investigation compares the effectiveness of five different 3-layered masks with N95 mask in terms of pressure drop and aerosol filtration capabilities. Different combinations of cotton, polypropylene fabric, tissue and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) were used as mask materials. In comparison to N95 mask, the result shows that the 3-layered cotton mask has much lesser pressure drop but least droplet filtration efficiency, while polypropylene-HEPA-polypropylene mask is seen as the best cost-effective alternative to N95 in terms of droplets filtration efficiency and breathability. These findings are crucial to make the right non-medical facemask to combat COVID-19 and other airborne diseases. [Image: see text]