masks for cycling

Quoted message said:

Does anyone know where I can get a mask which is good for traffic
pollution. I have a 10 mile cycle to work, with the last 4 miles in
heavy traffic. I am under the impression that the standard masks sold
are good for dust etc. but not PM10s, PM5s, CO and all the other really
bad traffic pollution. I imagine industrial masks (paint spraying etc)
would do the job, but what is the most minimalist mask which would?

thanks

stew

Try an army surplus shop. You really need a gas mask.

MSeries said:

Try an army surplus shop. You really need a gas mask.

Indeed. What the man said. Most of these masks are pretty
useless. Console yourself with the thought that you are
getting less pollutants than the drivers, and keep the
exertion level lowish

--
Arthur Clune

When I saw the title, I though this was a Mardi Gras thing...
LBS's carry pollution filter masks (at least, Bee Line cycles in Oxford
do), can't remember the make, might be japanese, they go in for them a
lot, but VOCs never killed noone did they?

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Quoted message said:

Does anyone know where I can get a mask which is good for traffic
pollution. I have a 10 mile cycle to work, with the last 4 miles in
heavy traffic. I am under the impression that the standard masks sold
are good for dust etc. but not PM10s, PM5s, CO and all the other really
bad traffic pollution. I imagine industrial masks (paint spraying etc)
would do the job, but what is the most minimalist mask which would?

You will not get a simple mask that will remove CO or any other
gases/vapours.

Received widom is that the air quality is actually healthier outside the
cars than in them and that the benefits from the exercise outweigh the risks
from inhalation of particulate matter.

Bbenefits from the exercise outweigh the risks
from inhalation of particulate matter.

You could filter out a lot of the black stuff that eminates from
diesels with a simple mask from b&q or builders supply shop.
TerryJ

Quoted message said:

Bbenefits from the exercise outweigh the risks
from inhalation of particulate matter.

You could filter out a lot of the black stuff that eminates from
diesels with a simple mask from b&q or builders supply shop.
TerryJ

Thats probaly true but its the unseen gasses that are the real danger.

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Quoted message said:

Bbenefits from the exercise outweigh the risks
from inhalation of particulate matter.

You could filter out a lot of the black stuff that eminates from
diesels with a simple mask from b&q or builders supply shop.
TerryJ

You'd be surprised at how much of it gets through.....

The OP's primary concerns were the smaller particles and noxious gases.

Quoted message said:

vernon levy said:

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Quoted message said:

Bbenefits from the exercise outweigh the risks
from inhalation of particulate matter.

You could filter out a lot of the black stuff that eminates from
diesels with a simple mask from b&q or builders supply shop.
TerryJ

You'd be surprised at how much of it gets through.....

The OP's primary concerns were the smaller particles and noxious gases.

IIRC the pollution masks sold for cycling tended to trap the pollutants
and then outgas them into your breathing so that you were no better and
possibly worse off with them than without

--
Tony

"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham

vernon levy said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Does anyone know where I can get a mask which is good for traffic
pollution. I have a 10 mile cycle to work, with the last 4 miles in
heavy traffic. I am under the impression that the standard masks sold
are good for dust etc. but not PM10s, PM5s, CO and all the other really
bad traffic pollution. I imagine industrial masks (paint spraying etc)
would do the job, but what is the most minimalist mask which would?

You will not get a simple mask that will remove CO or any other
gases/vapours.

Received widom is that the air quality is actually healthier outside the
cars than in them and that the benefits from the exercise outweigh the risks
from inhalation of particulate matter.

except i exercise anyway in the country and this commute probably
reduces that. i just want to make sure my commute isnt making me less
healthy

Quoted message said:

except i exercise anyway in the country and this commute probably
reduces that. i just want to make sure my commute isnt making me less
healthy

Your commute is not making you less healthy, the benefit from exercising in
the pollutants outweighs the harmful effects of the pollutants. You will not
get less healthy, you'll just get healthier more slowly :-)

vernon levy said:

Quoted message said:

except i exercise anyway in the country and this commute probably
reduces that. i just want to make sure my commute isnt making me less
healthy

Your commute is not making you less healthy, the benefit from exercising in
the pollutants outweighs the harmful effects of the pollutants. You will not
get less healthy, you'll just get healthier more slowly :-)

even if i replace my 1.5 hour cycle in the clean country air with my
filthy 1.5 hour city cycle?

Quoted message said:

even if i replace my 1.5 hour cycle in the clean country air with my
filthy 1.5 hour city cycle?

Apparently so.

There is a noticible improvement in air here in Leeds. There are fewer
noxious niffs when mixing it with rush hour traffic on my bike. Catalysed
exhausts and emissions testing have contibuted to the improved state of
affairs.

Quoted message said:

even if i replace my 1.5 hour cycle in the clean country air with my
filthy 1.5 hour city cycle?

Clearly not. But wearing a mask is unlikely to improve things

--
Arthur Clune

vernon levy said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Does anyone know where I can get a mask which is good for traffic
pollution. I have a 10 mile cycle to work, with the last 4 miles in
heavy traffic. I am under the impression that the standard masks
sold are good for dust etc. but not PM10s, PM5s, CO and all the
other really bad traffic pollution. I imagine industrial masks
(paint spraying etc) would do the job, but what is the most
minimalist mask which would?

You will not get a simple mask that will remove CO or any other
gases/vapours.

Received widom is that the air quality is actually healthier outside
the cars than in them and that the benefits from the exercise
outweigh the risks from inhalation of particulate matter.

There's a link for this which I posted ages ago. I can't remember where to
find it, though.

--
Ambrose

Ambrose Nankivell said:

Quoted message said:

Received widom is that the air quality is actually healthier outside
the cars than in them and that the benefits from the exercise
outweigh the risks from inhalation of particulate matter.

Dunno where you receive your wisdom from, but according to this :
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8563
You're better off in a car than on a bike, pity the poor sods that have to
take a taxi.

--

Geoff

GeoffC said:

Ambrose Nankivell said:

Quoted message said:

Received widom is that the air quality is actually healthier outside
the cars than in them and that the benefits from the exercise
outweigh the risks from inhalation of particulate matter.

Dunno where you receive your wisdom from, but according to this :
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8563

That study seems to haved limited its definition of "pollution" to
particulate matter, which is nasty, but by no means the only or the
worst pollutant. See this report for a broader assesment:

http://www.icta.org/doc/In-car%20pollution%20report.pdf

For example: "Concentrations of Benzene, a known carcinogen, reach
levels inside automobiles nearly tow-and-half times higher than in the
air breathed by bicyclists, according to a Raleigh, NC, study"

sothach said:

GeoffC said:

Ambrose Nankivell said:

> Received widom is that the air quality is actually healthier outside
> the cars than in them and that the benefits from the exercise
> outweigh the risks from inhalation of particulate matter.

Dunno where you receive your wisdom from, but according to this :
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8563

That study seems to haved limited its definition of "pollution" to
particulate matter, which is nasty, but by no means the only or the
worst pollutant. See this report for a broader assesment:

http://www.icta.org/doc/In-car%20pollution%20report.pdf

For example: "Concentrations of Benzene, a known carcinogen, reach
levels inside automobiles nearly tow-and-half times higher than in the
air breathed by bicyclists, according to a Raleigh, NC, study"

do cars not have filters on the air intakes (for the car interior)?
you would have thought it would be easy enough to make pollution levels
in a car as close to zero as makes no difference.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

http://www.icta.org/doc/In-car%20pollution%20report.pdf

For example: "Concentrations of Benzene, a known carcinogen, reach
levels inside automobiles nearly tow-and-half times higher than in the
air breathed by bicyclists, according to a Raleigh, NC, study"

do cars not have filters on the air intakes (for the car interior)?

Yes. However, lots of the nasty stuff is too small to be stopped by the
filter.

Quoted message said:

you would have thought it would be easy enough to make pollution levels
in a car as close to zero as makes no difference.

Indeed, if you hermetically sealed it. However, then there is the
minor issue of breathing to be considered.

R.

Quoted message said:

do cars not have filters on the air intakes (for the car interior)?
you would have thought it would be easy enough to make pollution levels
in a car as close to zero as makes no difference.

The nasty stuff, the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as Toluene
and Benzene (you can smell 'em in a city street, especially on a cold
morning) are tiny, wee molecules, such as C7H8 - I'm not sure your seal
a car effectively against them and still let air in, you'd have to go
to creating a higher pressure in the car, but that would mean carrying
an compressed air cylinder, as you couldn't filter the ambient air of
such compounds.
Best bet would be for car occupants just to wear an aqualung.