pollution/mask question

When I first moved to a job in Oxford, I thought I could cycle in every
day from my home 12 miles out. The air is the filthiest I have ever
come across in a developed country. Can you get pollution masks that
actually work and act as a barrier to particulates, CO and the rest? I
haven't seen any specifically advertised for cyclists.

Russ

www.wiggle.co.uk have a selection of them (search for mask), but I can't
vouch for how good they are.


wrote in message
ups.com...
When I first moved to a job in Oxford, I thought I could cycle in every
day from my home 12 miles out. The air is the filthiest I have ever
come across in a developed country. Can you get pollution masks that
actually work and act as a barrier to particulates, CO and the rest? I
haven't seen any specifically advertised for cyclists.

Russ

Pun Krocker wrote:
When I first moved to a job in Oxford, I thought I could cycle in every
day from my home 12 miles out. The air is the filthiest I have ever
come across in a developed country. Can you get pollution masks that
actually work and act as a barrier to particulates, CO and the rest? I
haven't seen any specifically advertised for cyclists.

Chain Reaction have them.
http://tinyurl.com/bc8wn

although to be fair the OP asked "Can you get pollution masks that
actually work?" so the answer is No. The OP can almost certainly
reduce his/her exposure by varying route a little (often by cycling in
the other side of a lane) but there may be unwelcome side effects in
time and convenience

best wishes
james

I used the first respros in London.

The standard exhaust valves tended to stick up very quickly with
moisture from my breath, especially in winter, so I changed to the
sports valves which were better. I imagine a lot of the initial design
problems have been fixed, but for 12 miles e/w you would definitely
need the sports version.

Do they work? Well they won't remove PM5's, which are the most
dangerous. Getting the seal around your face is difficult so they will
always leak a bit. If the exhaust valves stick then the filter will
fill with condensation and you won't be able to breathe. Don't forget
you have to replace the filters regularly.

They will remove a good proportion of pollution - I certainly noticed
the difference after the first month or so. One time I was stopped
behind a refuse truck and the cyclist next to me was on the point of
vomiting in the gutter, I didn't know what he was on about until I took
off the mask to talk to him!

Bob Smith wrote:
www.wiggle.co.uk have a selection of them (search for mask), but I can't
vouch for how good they are.


wrote in message
ups.com...
When I first moved to a job in Oxford, I thought I could cycle in every
day from my home 12 miles out. The air is the filthiest I have ever
come across in a developed country. Can you get pollution masks that
actually work and act as a barrier to particulates, CO and the rest? I
haven't seen any specifically advertised for cyclists.

Russ

You need a gas mask to filter out the dangerous gasses

"MSeries" writes:

Bob Smith wrote:
www.wiggle.co.uk have a selection of them (search for mask), but I can't
vouch for how good they are.


wrote in message
ups.com...
When I first moved to a job in Oxford, I thought I could cycle in every
day from my home 12 miles out. The air is the filthiest I have ever
come across in a developed country. Can you get pollution masks that
actually work and act as a barrier to particulates, CO and the rest? I
haven't seen any specifically advertised for cyclists.

Russ

You need a gas mask to filter out the dangerous gasses

That worked for Turing against pollen when he was at Bletchley

Chris
--
Chris Eilbeck
MARS Flight Crew http://www.mars.org.uk/
UKRA #1108 Level 2 UYB
Tripoli UK Member #9527 LSMR

iakobski wrote:

They will remove a good proportion of pollution - I certainly noticed
the difference after the first month or so. One time I was stopped
behind a refuse truck and the cyclist next to me was on the point of
vomiting in the gutter, I didn't know what he was on about until I took
off the mask to talk to him!


IIRC the research shows that they trap the pollutants and you then
breathe in air passing over the trapped pollutants. Net result is it is
actually worse in that you are breathing polluted air all the time
rather than just in spells. They also have a very short period in
normal traffic before they are clogged and cease to have any effect. BICBW.

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

Tony Raven wrote:
iakobski wrote:

They will remove a good proportion of pollution - I certainly noticed
the difference after the first month or so. One time I was stopped
behind a refuse truck and the cyclist next to me was on the point of
vomiting in the gutter, I didn't know what he was on about until I took
off the mask to talk to him!


IIRC the research shows that they trap the pollutants and you then
breathe in air passing over the trapped pollutants. Net result is it is
actually worse in that you are breathing polluted air all the time
rather than just in spells. They also have a very short period in
normal traffic before they are clogged and cease to have any effect. BICBW.


My experience is with the original Respro. I found them very hot and
clammy so modified it a little to reduce the amount of neoprene in
contact with my face.

Generally they work well if you change the filters regularly (every
week in London.) I also found it necessary to boil it up every month or
so to remove the accumulated cold germs etc. Eventually I found the
solution was to leave London and go to a city with far lower air
pollution.

...d

On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 08:36:43 +0100, David Martin wrote
(in article .com):


[...]

Generally they work well if you change the filters regularly (every
week in London.)


I'd just like to find one that didn't steam my glasses up on the exhale.

Matt.