[marcussantiago]

Originally Posted by rajathv8

Just ordered the same thing to use while walking to and from office here in Blore. This will be my second mask after the neomask.

Just curious - how many hours does one mask last for you in Delhi?

I use it for about an hour to two hours per day on average (when riding to work) and it lasts about a month. It depends on how often you use it and how severe the pollution is. You will know when it's time to replace it because the mask starts turning grey as it absorbs more pollutants.

Also, I forgot to mention that I used to wear a motocross style helmet, which has a sort of pointed "snout", so there's more space inside than a typical helmet. So the mask may not fit all helmets out there.

However a mask that does not have a valve, will usually be smoother and flatter and will be able to be worn under most helmets. Now that I have a more standard full-face helmet, I wear a 3M N95 mask with no valve, and the SmartAir mask for normal street use.

Hope this helps!

[marcussantiago]

Also, I want to quickly add, there are so many masks and respirators and whatnot to choose from, people are really cashing in on the hysteria from all the pollution in major cities.

Please do not be fooled, buy the proper mask that actually does the job. There are masks for sale that are nothing more than strips of cotton cloth. These do absolutely nothing aside from a placebo effect. There are other masks that are meant to fight germs (like what doctors and nurses use in hospitals) and again, these do nothing to fight the kind of pollution we're facing in Delhi (and presumably in most other major Indian cities).

The kind of pollution we're facing concerns SPM, or suspended particulate matter. Basically this is a very fine dust where the particles are 2.5 microns in size or less. This "ultradust" is so fine that you cannot even smell it, breathing it directly in and letting it enter our lungs and bloodstream. Normal dust is large and coarse and your body senses it, making you cough. This does not.

You must look for the following key factors in choosing a mask:

* PM 2.5: This refers to how fine the SPM / dust is. 2.5 refers to 2.5 microns, the common kind of pollution people in Delhi are breathing in daily. In other words, the dust particles are smaller than the width of a human hair. The numbers can vary as some masks are specified for finer dust but 2.5 is quite common.

* N95 rated: This means the mask blocks 95% of the pollution the mask is rated for.

* N99 rated: This means the mask blocks 99% of the pollution the mask is rated for (better than N95).

* Valves: A mask with a valve (or even two valves in some cases) are a tad easier to breathe through, as exhaled air is expelled through the one-way valve. The downside is that masks with valves can be trickier to squeeze under a full-face motorcycle helmet, depending on the model. Masks without valves are also slightly cheaper, take up less space, and can fit a little easier under a full-face. But masks without valves can feel stuffy and suffocating sometimes, this varies from person to person.

* Elastic bands: A mask with two elastic bands (one that goes over the ear, the other goes below the ear) will fit the mask over your face better. A snug fit is important. If air comes in through the sides of the mask then there is no point in wearing the thing in the first place. Some masks have little rings on the elastic so that you can tighten it if needed if you're a smaller guy like me.

* Activated charcoal: This is a kind of filter that also absorbs poisonous fumes and gases along with SPM and dust and other nasties. It's more expensive but it's probably not needed unless there is reason for it (for example, chemical pollution, paint fumes, that kind of thing).

The place I went to, to get my masks (as well as an indoor room air purifier) was Smart Air in Delhi:

https://smartairfilters.com/in/en/

Full disclaimer: this small organization was originally run by a friend of mine and fellow biker. I was impressed with their passion for making clean breathable air affordable to the masses, as opposed to merely exploiting a public disaster for gross personal profit. I also appreciated all the facts and figures and science on their site where they transparently explain everything about how their products work, including comparing them to other brands and products, and so on. To be absolutely clear, I'm not paid anything by these guys, I don't really know them all that well, I just know that I personally had a good experience with them. I am not saying they're the best company for this, or that you cannot trust anyone else. I'm just sharing my own two paisa because I'm seeing an alarming amount of misinformation and crappy products that do not work being bought and sold widely without any research or vetting. Please do your own due diligence and research things thoroughly before purchasing, just as you would if you were buying a car or bike.

Anyway hope this helps. Happy shopping, and breathe and drive safe.

[OPMaurya]

I have been thinking of sharing my helmet-air filter setup for some time. Finally I got over the inertia and thought of sharing it for the benefit of all.
I reside in Delhi-NCR region and as most of the people know of the bad air quality - specifically in winters, just after Diwali, I thought of finding a way to ride my motorcycle without some of the ill effects on my respiratory system.
I bought one 3M respirator and cartridges (take care to buy a pair as one respirator needs two cartridges) from amazon.in but obviously my full-face helmet couldn't accommodate this in any way. I had to go to a shop for trying out a helmet with the mask as online I couldn't get an idea about what would work or not. Bought an open face helmet from Vega. This is quite similar to the one being sold along with Royal Enfield motorcycle - maybe Vega is making for Royal Enfield as well.
However, as I was used to a full-face helmet, there is a lot of wind blast inside the helmet and my eyes get dry. To counter this, I also purchased glasses from Decathlon.
This has helped but not too well for comfort. I am looking forward to try out a 3M safety goggles - the only downside I can think of is the aberration that might be there and it is not suggested for motor vehicle driving. But this being 3M, I am willing to try it out at least once and maybe make some tweaks to the glass or add onto the existing decathlon one.
Helmet:
https://www.vegaauto.com/helmets/ope...l-Black-Helmet


Respirator:
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B013WCNHSO/
https://www.3mindia.in/3M/en_IN/comp...3786499&rt=rud



Cartridge:
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B005YSRW0E/


Decathlon Glasses:
https://www.decathlon.in/p/8118519_s...-1-yellow.html




3M PC glasses:
https://www.amazon.in/3M-Polycarbona...dp/B00RJ57UPM/




With helmet and mask (no goggles), the helmet is not strapped in the picture but there is no issue with that. Haven’t got any other picture right now:

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by OPMaurya

I have been thinking of sharing my helmet-air filter setup for some time. Finally I got over the inertia and thought of sharing it for the benefit of all.

Few queries :

Do you manage to strap your helmet with the respirator and cartridge?

And I really do not know how safe would it be, in case one happens to land face down in the event of an unfortunate crash.

[OPMaurya]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Few queries :

Do you manage to strap your helmet with the respirator and cartridge?

And I really do not know how safe would it be, in case one happens to land face down in the event of an unfortunate crash.

The actual sequence how I put this on:
Respirator > Goggles > Helmet (keep the visor up, move the visor down after bucking the helmet strap).
I am still not that comfortable with an open face helmet but the respirator does make a lot of difference to breathing – have to have a look at the used cartridge to actually appreciate them. It’s a compromise between the lungs (can’t avoid this) or the chin (can be careful here and steer clear of being too enthusiastic on the road).
We have a post here debating on open face helmet vs full-face helmet: https://www.team-bhp.com/safety/open...l-face-helmets
As per one of the figures there, 34.6% alone account for the impact in the chin area.
I have been an avid bicyclist but haven’t been in the saddle for long owing to a small crash where I cut my upper lip. It was a bad crash but I was wearing a helmet. Missus saw the blood oozing and since then haven’t allowed me to ride it. Hopefully one of these days I’ll convince her to allow me again.

[OPMaurya]

I have just replaced the filter cartridges, thought of sharing the pictures.
The filter is so good that once it is loaded with particles and is to be replaced, the breathing become strained. This is due to the fact that the fit of mask doesn't allow air to be sucked in from any other place apart from the filter cartridges and the cartridges also do their job.

Old (Left side) and New (Right side) filter cartridges, side by side:





Old Filter cartridge:



New Filter cartridge:

[OPMaurya]

Originally Posted by OPMaurya

I am looking forward to try out a 3M safety goggles - the only downside I can think of is the aberration that might be there and it is not suggested for motor vehicle driving. But this being 3M, I am willing to try it out at least once and maybe make some tweaks to the glass or add onto the existing decathlon one.
3M PC glasses:
https://www.amazon.in/3M-Polycarbona...dp/B00RJ57UPM/
Attachment 1939914
Attachment 1939915

I finally bought the 3M PC safety glasses to go along with the setup.
However, I am a bit disappointed as it didn't work out as expected. The plastic material is not that pliant as the face mask and it hurts if worn for long. Also, there are some gaps between the face and the glasses. Maybe the cold weather of North India is playing a part here and the plastic may soften a bit in summer months. I didn't face any issue with the visibility, for the short time that I had the glasses on. Might update the status once I actually try it out for a longer duration. Till the, it'll serve me for DIY projects.
Picture below with the glasses and the rest of setup:

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by OPMaurya

replaced...
[/ATTACH]

So how many days of use between replacements? (You can provide better data, like kilometers driven with the mask on, if possible)

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by OPMaurya

I finally bought the 3M PC safety glasses to go along with the setup.
However, I am a bit disappointed as it didn't work out as expected. The plastic material is not that pliant as the face mask and it hurts if worn for long. Also, there are some gaps between the face and the glasses. Maybe the cold weather of North India is playing a part here and the plastic may soften a bit in summer months. I didn't face any issue with the visibility, for the short time that I had the glasses on. Might update the status once I actually try it out for a longer duration. Till the, it'll serve me for DIY projects.
Picture below with the glasses and the rest of setup:
Attachment 1948168

At this stage, I would seriously contemplate moving far and away out of that miserable place. I truly feel sorry, and our entire earth is probably headed this way thanks to politicians and big oil.

If anything this is a stark reminder of things to come.

[OPMaurya]

Originally Posted by mvadg

So how many days of use between replacements? (You can provide better data, like kilometers driven with the mask on, if possible)

I haven't kept a track of number of days or kilometers but roughly these cartridges lasted for around four months of daily use. Though I had purchased these last year, but had put to use only after the pollution levels spiked.

[OPMaurya]

I had cut the old filter cartridge to see what goes inside it. I was surprised to see there is filter tightly packed with fine black granules, in all probability GAC (Granular Activated Charcoal). It is so tightly packed that even after shaking the cartridge vigorously, there is no sound. However, the cartridge has worked quite good for me and I am pleased with the performance.

[payeng]

My 2 Cents:

Why Ride in Pollution? Just "Drive" or "Be Driven".

[OPMaurya]

I am more of a biker.
If traveling by a four-wheeler, I will spend more time stranded in traffic than actually traveling.
It takes me anywhere from 20-30 minutes by motorcycle and 20-90 minutes by a four-wheeler for the same distance.
Given the traffic, I prefer Uber than driving - saves the headache of driving in traffic, searching for a parking spot and the car too...

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by OPMaurya

I had cut the old filter cartridge to see what goes inside it. I was surprised to see there is filter tightly packed with fine black granules, in all probability GAC (Granular Activated Charcoal)...

Pity we can't just put it in the microwave, burn off the pollutants and reuse the mask! Or, could we? I'm sure 3M will never come up with such a mask, but I wish some jugaad types would.
Edit: Apparently, you can https://tools.niehs.nih.gov/srp/1/Re...ef_149_508.pdf

[am1m]

Originally Posted by payeng

Why Ride in Pollution? Just "Drive" or "Be Driven".

Originally Posted by OPMaurya

If traveling by a four-wheeler, I will spend more time stranded in traffic than actually traveling.

Good point to ponder actually. On a busy road, in terms of exposure to pollution and dust, what is better? Riding a motorcycle where you are more openly exposed to pollutants but for a far shorter time? Or driving/being driven where there is some element of filtering, but you are stuck in traffic for much longer?

Personally, I'd rather ride than take the car because I just don't have the patience to get stuck in commute traffic. The difference between the bike and car in peak traffic is up to 30mins for my commute. Non-peak hours not much difference. But would be interesting to know which option exposes you to less pollution. People think I'm crazy for leaving to work early (by 7:30 am) and leaving from work late (after 7:30pm), but I hate traffic and am really worried about my exposure. I prefer using the gym after work and leaving after traffic comes down.

Some info I could find:

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/10/...air-pollution/