Updated November 2nd, 2019 at 00:07 IST

Anti-pollution mask: Best options to protect yourself from pollution

Air pollution in Delhi is at an all-time high after this year's Diwali. Here are a few of the best anti-pollution mask that you can buy to protect yourself.

Reported by: Siddharth Iyer
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Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the entire country with its air being highly polluted and smogs and fogs being a common occurrence. After the recent Diwali celebrations, the city's air has become much worse due to the thousands of crackers and rockets that were used during the celebrations. Air pollution can lead to several health issues and can severely deteriorate your health. To protect yourself from the toxicity in the air, here are the best anti-pollution masks that you can buy.

N95 masks

Read | Delhi CM Kejriwal speaks to students about pollution, hands out masks

Masks categorized as N95 are capable of filtering up to 95% of all air particulates. This is the minimum level of protection that you should try to buy if you are worried about air pollution. It is also the most common type of mask available. You can buy an N95 mask for around 100-150 rupees.

N99 or N100 masks

Mask categorized as N99 or N100 are a much more effective version of the N95 mask. These masks can protect you against 99% of particulate air pollutants. However, finding an N100 mask(the most efficient version) is much more difficult and are usually used in industrial areas. N99 and N100 masks are much more expensive and are usually around 1500-3000 rupees per mask. 

P95 masks 

Read | Delhi Pollution: CM Kejriwal distributes face masks among students

The downside of N series masks is that they cannot protect you against oil-based particulates. While that is not a major deterrent for most people, some might prefer or require protection from oil-based pollutants. In that case, you need to purchase a P95 series mask. However, P95 masks are expensive and are also not reusable. The cost of one mask can be up to a 1,000 rupees but as these masks cannot be reused it can be highly expensive to keep buying them. 

Advanced Masks

The N series masks are the most common variety. However, if you desire a higher level of protection you will need a more advanced and high-tech mask. Most masks only protect you from 0.3 to 2.5PM size particles. But some masks not only offer more protection but are also more reusable and advanced in their design. Masks such as the Totobobo mask or the air purification motion mask offer a high level of protection. These masks are expensive though and cost around 3000 rupees per mask. 

Read | Gambhir to Kejriwal: What have you done to curb Delhi pollution?

Watch | School students comment on tackling pollution in Delhi
 

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Published November 1st, 2019 at 19:52 IST