Ozone & face masks w/carbon?

Posted by lvnl @lvnl, Jul 6 6:49pm

Hi all. I had not paid attention to what can be done about outdoor ozone exposure til recently when I seem to be flaring a lot. Not qualifying as exacerbations, no bacterial infections besides the MAC I'm being treated for. Then I realized we are have a lot of high ozone days here in NYC. So 2 questions for our wonderfully helpful folks here:
1. How do you know if you are "especially sensitive to ozone" (warranting paying attention to ozone levels before going out, per air quality alerts)? Vs any of the other variables that can affect our breathing? And
2. Has anyone tried the face masks with a carbon layer which is the one thing that protects against ozone?
Thanks all for the generous sharing of experience here.

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jul 12 9:54am

@lvnl I don't know how I missed your question, but let me see if I can answer it for you.

First, personal sensitivity - As far as I know, there is no specific test to measure this - most of us with lung issues should probably ASSUME that an additional irritant is not a good idea, and act as if we are sensitive.

Second - Effective face masks. I was recently amazed to learn there is no US standard for testing ozone effectiveness. Here is where I found the information:
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/2390524O/respiratory-protection-for-ozone.pdf
All of the recommended devices, even for short-term use, were respirators with replaceable carbon filters.

So, as I sometimes do, I went deep-diving into the weeds in Google Scholar. From my research, it does not appear that anyone has tested masks with activated carbon, or carbon-infused fibers, for effectiveness against ozone. The only test I did find was of carbon inserts, and it implied that 1) you need to know the density & composition of the insert to know if it is effective at all, and 2) the inserts quickly become saturated and no longer absorb the pollution. (Tried my history - can't get back to the article.)

Here is my probably unhelpful response:
I know ozone affects me, and the only way to avoid it is to stay inside with all the HEPA air filters on high. If I have to go out (as I will later today, in BAD air quality) I wear an N95 mask, tightly fitted, and keep it on until I get home. If I lived in NYC or another place with frequent high ozone readings, I might consider trying one of the carbon layered KN95 masks - probably with replaceable carbon filters - from a reputable source.

lvnl | @lvnl | Jul 12 12:22pm

Thanks Sue for that input. I am amazed as well that there is so little information or attention to the problem of ozone for lungs. I use the indoor air purifier you mentioned a while ago, Honeywell older model, and was glad to learn that the carbon "pre filter" does clean some of the ozone, because ozone is also created indoors by cooking & etc. (some air purifiers also "clean" the air with ozone!!??). But I can't tell anywhere how air inside compares to a bad day outside for example.
I started wondering about all the variables / potential triggers for flares since I've now had 2 viruses in 3 months, high blood levels of eosinophils possibly indicating allergies and bla bla bla ... you all know the drill I'm sure.