Anti-pollution masks for cyclists, a useless accessory?

Some cyclists do not consider an outing without wearing this mask. In town, they feel protected against polluting particles. Problem, these so-called “antipollution” masks could actually be of no use to protect yourself from the air pollution. In an expert appraisal intended to assess the potential health benefit of wearing a so-called “antipollution” mask, the handles concluded that there was “insufficient data available” attesting to a health benefit. The agency therefore does not recommend wearing a mask to protect against air pollution.

To support these conclusions, the agency first explains that the effectiveness of the mask tested in the laboratory cannot prejudge the “effectiveness in real conditions of use” by the general population. And the agency cites parameters that can bias this effectiveness: “poor fit to the face, lack of mask maintenance, lack of user information and training, intense physical activity, etc.” . The mastery of wearing a mask is therefore not guaranteed, concludes the agency.

A “false sense of protection” against pollution

Second aspect which calls into question the interest of the mask: “most of the products listed on the French market are designed to protect particles present in the ambient air and do not protect against substances present in gaseous state“, observes the study.

Problem, for the user, wearing a mask can give the illusion of being protected and lead to “behaviors possibly leading to overexposure to pollutants in the air”.

The most effective to limithealth impact of pollutionenvironmental (with in particular the risk of respiratory pathologies and cardiovascular) remains to limit polluting emissions, concludes the handles. The agency advocates in particular better transparency and greater information for the population and sensitive people on the behavior to adopt in order to limit daily exposure.

Read also

14% of cases of diabetes linked to pollution

Do you often do housework? So you’ve got smoker’s lungs

Noise promotes stress