Wearing an N95 Respirator Concurrently With a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator: Effect on Protection Factor

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine if using an N95 filtering face-piece respirator concurrently with a loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) offers additional protection to the wearer.

METHODS:

We used a breathing mannequin programmed to deliver minute volumes of 25 L/min and 40 L/min. We measured the baseline protection factor of the PAPR with its motor operational and then deactivated (to simulate mechanical or battery failure). We tested 3 replicates of 3 different N95 models. We glued each N95 to the breathing mannequin and obtained a minimum protection factor of 100 at 25 L/min. We then placed the PAPR on the mannequin and took protection factor measurements with the N95-plus-PAPR combination, at 25 L/min and 40 L/min, with the PAPR operational and then deactivated.

RESULTS:

The N95 significantly increased the PAPR's protection factor, even with the PAPR deactivated. The effect was multiplicative, not merely additive.

CONCLUSIONS:

An N95 decreases the concentration of airborne particles inspired by the wearer of a PAPR.