Westin Then

Project

Presentation

Progress Log

Capstone Essay

Westin Then

Mr. Caballero

English

May 5, 2020

DIY Filter Masks

People throughout the world are purchasing masks at alarming rates in hopes to prevent the spread of diseases. Recently, stores have begun to run out masks for those who really need it such as the weak, old, young, and medical staff workers. This constant decline of masks is due to diseases such as COVID-19, which will spread faster and faster without those masks, and to those who are sick with either a disease, or illness are the ones who need it the most. For my Capstone project, I will be creating my own custom masks. The masks I will create will be average DIY cloth masks, but with a twist of adding in specialized air filters. Afterward, I will be testing the strengths of several of the masks I create and figure out which design will work the best in the end. Through my background research, I wanted to expand my knowledge of just how well masks work and their impact on society. After I have completed my research, I hope I can help others who are in need still be able to mitigate the spread of disease such as COVID-19, while being able to allow medical staff workers and those who need it the most to be able to receive the higher end masks.

To begin with, a filter cloth mask is very different than just a regular cloth mask. For example, filter masks have the ability to greatly mitigate the spread of germs and bacteria towards a person (Bhargava). This basically means that a filter mask is a drastically stronger version than an average cloth mask. When a person is sick, they often cough and sneeze spreading the small microorganisms, getting the pathogens of a disease everywhere meaning other people are greatly increasing the chances of someone becoming infected. However, by wearing a mask in general, a mask is able to block or slightly prevent some aerosols and germs around a six feet distance in the public, overall making the situation of a pandemic drastically better (Vansynghel). So when a filter is added to a custom mask, the strength and efficiency of the mask would be in between of a surgical and cloth mask; however, something that must be known to greatly improve the strength of a face mask is learning to wear a mask properly (Vansynghel). When wearing a mask, first wash hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least twenty seconds (Giordano). The best way to make sure that most bacteria has been washed away long enough is by singing songs like the happy birthday song twice, or even Twinkle little star twice (Hand Sanitizer). Another step to follow is checking if the mask is properly sealed as there are no holes, tears, and rips. When wearing the mask, the filter mask should be tied tightly to the neck and head, while still having very easy access to breathing; but when it comes to taking the face mask off, first, wash hands thoroughly while avoiding touching places like the face and mask (Giordano). Then afterward, take off the mask and throw away the filter (Hand Sanitizer). Wash the filter mask well with soapy water. Essentially, following all of these steps will allow the use of the filter mask over and over, at the same time being nearly or even as good as some times of current existing face masks. In conclusion, custom masks are not only a great way to mitigate the spread of disease, but it allows the mask to be reusable so anyone can use this mask constantly when they go out into the public (Giordano).

A filter mask also gives the opportunity for everyone to be able to easily make their own masks at a reasonable price. For instance, there are many great features to making a custom type mask, one being that the materials are reasonable to get. The first item needed to get is the mask base material. The base material can be a bandana, cloth shirt, or a piece of cloth around fifteen by seventeen inches. Depending on how a mask is constructed, if able to sew a mask, sewing materials are going to be needed. Making a sew mask can lightly improve the mask's strengths such as its efficiency and durability (Use Cloth). Now, when it comes to making a mask, there are a couple of things to look for. First, check that the mask completely surrounds the face. The filter mask needs to be able to cover up the face, specifically the nose and the mouth; the reason being that those are the places most vulnerable to catching a disease (Robin). Afterward, inserting a filter into the mask is what makes the mask unique and powerful. Filters can range around coffee filters, air filters, to even layers of paper towels. The filters are what make the mask so effective in slowing down a virus or disease. A custom made mask with a filter will have similar effects of a normal mask, essentially with the cheap materials used with similar effects of an average face mask will allow medical staff, sick, and the weak to purchase the higher end masks (Vansynghel). To sum up using filter masks, by creating a custom made mask, it is not only cheap and easy to make, it gives a chance for everyone to have a mask if they are unable to buy them from the store, with the overall goal of slowing down any disease.

In addition, depending on the quality of material used as a filter added into the mask, will be weaker, as good, or even stronger than some modern-day masks that are being manufactured today. Popular and effective modern-day masks include surgical masks and the N95 mask. Their filters are quite strong with the surgical mask filtering around twenty-five to around thirty-six percent of particles and aerosols. The N95 mask is a type of respirator mask that is the best for alleviating the spread of diseases. But the environment the mask is in, the amount of time the mask is worn, and the strength of the disease in the form of aerosols can drastically decrease the efficiency of the mask. (Bhargava). Now, when using a filter mask, depending on the filter that is used inside the mask and how people use the mask, it can have very different results, with some filters being able to greatly fight off disease can mean the difference between an epidemic versus a pandemic. From my research, there are many various items that can be used as a filter in a mask. Examples of smaller filters that have relatively tiny effects in filtering are wet paper towels and even layers of coffee filters, which can take out around fifteen to twenty-five percent of aerosols (Use Cloth). Stronger filters such as carbon filters, and new experimental filters like air vents, do not have a specific number for how many particles they filter out yet but are shown to most likely be drastically stronger than most other filters that can be purchased (Bhargava). Other than the fact that filters are just so much better than having a normal cloth mask, mainly because of the way it can filter aerosols, and because in the case someone or a person accidentally touches their face, the filter mask may have a small increased chance to not obtain the virus. Although the filter mask is generally for those who are sick, a small chance of protection is much better than no protection (Use Cloth).

From my research, I have furthered my knowledge from the uses and effects, and current ideas of masks about the proper and best uses of a custom mask. Through my data, I not only educated myself about the proper uses of a face mask but also found the best alternative for creating a face mask. Additionally, with my new-found knowledge, I learned about the proper uses of the popular face mask. But, through the concept of just how important face masks are and their uses, my goal is to make a simple cloth made mask, with the best yet cheap filter, allowing people to create face masks despite the situation. My utmost plan is to give everyone the opportunity to create their own type of mask that is not only cheap to make, yet useful enough to allow medical staff workers, the sick, and the vulnerable to be able to purchase respirator masks. As well as my last goal which is to promote the use of basic house materials for masks, which will not only tremendously lower the spread of disease, generally scaling down the spread of an entire pandemic greatly.

Works Cited Page

Bhargava, Hansa D. “Coronavirus Face Masks: Types, How To Make & When To Use.” WebMD, WebMD, 16 Apr. 2020, www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus-face-masks#1.Accessed 22 Apr. 2020.

Giordano, Medea. “How to Make a CDC-Approved Cloth Face Mask.” Wired, Conde Nast, 9 Apr. 2020, www.wired.com/story/how-to-make-a-cloth-face-mask/. Accessed 22 Apr. 2020

"Hand sanitizer." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 22 Aug. 2019. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/hand-sanitizer/623827. Accessed 2 Apr. 2020.

Robin, Marci. “There's a Right Way to Use Hand Sanitizer.” Allure, 12 Mar. 2020, www.allure.com/story/hand-sanitizer-vs-washing-soap-water. Accessed 22 Apr. 2020

“Use Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow Spread.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Apr. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html. Accessed 21, Apr. 2020

Vansynghel, Margo. “Face Masks and Coronavirus: When, How and Why to Wear Them.” Crosscut, Crosscut, 21 Apr. 2020, crosscut.com/2020/04/face-masks-and-coronavirus-when-how-and-why-wear-them. Accessed 27 Apr. 2020