Efficiency of Community Face Coverings and Surgical Masks to Limit the Spread of Aerosol

Abstract

In the current pandemic context of COVID-19, people wear different types of masks, particularly in their workplace, to limit the spread of the virus. Depending on their activity and work environment, employees are required to wear community face coverings, cloth masks with a transparent windows, surgical masks, reusable masks, or respirators. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency as source control of these masks, i.e., when worn to protect the environment from the spread of particles emitted by the wearer. An experimental test bench including a dummy head and a breathing simulator associated with a DEHS droplet generator emitting 1 or 3 μm particles in the exhaled stream is used. Source control efficiency is calculated from the total flux of particles emitted in the test section without and with a mask. Seventeen models of masks are tested. Three breathing rate conditions were studied: from rest to heavy breathing, with average rates of 13, 27, and 45 L/min. Source control efficiencies vary from one mask to another. Among community face coverings (seven models) the values ranged from 15.6 to 33.8% for a medium intensity breath. The efficiencies of surgical masks (three models) ranged from 17.4 to 28.3% for the same breathing cycle. The community face coverings and the disposable surgical masks present equivalent values of source control efficiency, respectively, 25.9 and 24.1% at 1 μm and 31.5 and 23.2% at 3 μm. The respirators show higher source control efficiency than the other types of masks (76.7% at 1 μm and 82.5% at 3 μm). The statistical analysis of the data shows no effect of the breathing flow rate and an interaction effect between mask type and particle size. No differences in source control were found for the two particle sizes or the different experimental breathing rates for the respirators and the surgical masks. But the community face coverings and the cloth masks with transparent window present a source control efficiency which increases with the particle size. Varying levels of efficiency were measured with higher source control for respirators than for other types of masks. In the context of a respiratory protection programme, they can provide an effective barrier to the spread of the virus. But these results show also that no mask can stop all the particles emitted by its wearer. Regardless of the type of mask, other barrier measures (ventilation, social distancing, and hygiene) are then necessary.