Anyone wear a face mask?
Comments
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stu20001 wrote:Surely cagers breathe in more pollution whilst they sit in the middle of a traffic jam. I haven't ever seen them wearing a pollution mask.
No, because people in cars don't breathe as hard and deeply as people on bikes due to the fact they are just sat on their arses not moving. If you're cycling properly hard you will be taking in larger breaths in greater numbers. Therefore you are inhaling a greater amount of polluted air, no?
How can you tell?
Any evidence or just conjecture about comparative air intake?
The only evidence I know of is the research carried out by the government that basically said theres measurably more polluted air inside the car than outside.0 -
Gambatte wrote:The only evidence I know of is the research carried out by the government that basically said theres measurably more polluted air inside the car than outside.
Yeah, presumably wind clears the air quickly when you're outside the car.0 -
The other thing is, when there’s a traffic jam, I’m not stuck in it as long as the cars are. Therefore I don’t spend as much time in the higher pollution areas0
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The few times I've been in a car in London I've definitely noticed the increased pollution levels when stuck in traffic. I guess cagers get used to it so don't notice as much.
Of course I’ve noticed the pollution when on a bike, but exposure is minimal because it’s only at certain times. For example when stuck behind a bus or badly serviced van.0 -
Don't suffer from too much noticeable pollution on my route however I have noticed an increase in pollen this summer. Would a mask help hayfever in any way?
When I used to despatch around Edinburgh I noticed that at the end of a day's riding my face would be grubby - presumably from the pollution in the city centre and dirt thrown up from the road. I did wonder what this was doing to my lungs at the time!0 -
How can you tell?
Any evidence or just conjecture about comparative air intake?
Well that was conjecture on my part based on remembering something I read somewhere - I've just googled though and found this study which would suggest that that conjecture is wrong:
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/els/00489697/2001/00000279/00000001/art00758
I think what I was thinking of was the difference between cyclists and pedestrians. One expert is quoted here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,2049704,00.html) as saying that cyclists and joggers inhale 3x as much if you were walkng. However this doesn't say whether thats over the same distance or the same length of time. I would guess time because it would take me considerably less time to cycle 2 miles than it would to walk it so I would be exposed less.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Having a quick squint at the full article. the summary is this.
Benzene - Car drivers have 3x higher exposure than cyclists
toulene, ethylbenzene/xylenes - Car drivers have 3x higher exposure than cyclists
particulate matter - car drivers have 2x higher exposure than cyclists
The also conclude that air children breathe may be better on the back of a bicycle than inside a car.0 -
JustRidecp wrote:littleadukibeanweevil wrote:Before I got the mask I often felt sick after cycling to work in Brighton. I was getting weasy and had lung pain.
I get this too! Often happens when I'm pushing up a really big hill. Feel like my lungs are going to burst out my chest and my hearts going to pop out my ears.
No pain no gain
Don't worry, I push up lots of hills.......
The lung pain that I get from pollution is noticeable when I am not on the bike, I also noticed that my lung capacity seemed smaller after long term exposure to pollution, the mask helped both of these problems.
As for the amount of pollution we cyclists breathe in....there is actually a question from a london commuter on this website asking if particulates affect blood cells. In the answer it is claimed that cyclists breathe in way more crap than motorists.
No one knows the long term effects of particulates on our lungs....or the rest of our bodies for that matter........in this case, better safe (er) than sorry!0 -
Just googled it....this from Wiki:
The main particulate fraction of diesel exhaust consists of small particles. Because of their small size, inhaled particles may easily penetrate deep into the lungs. The rough surfaces of these particles makes it easy for them to bind with other toxins in the environment, thus increasing the hazards of particle inhalation. Exposures have been linked with acute short-term symptoms such as headache, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, coughing, difficult or labored breathing, tightness of chest, and irritation of the eyes and nose and throat. Long-term exposures can lead to chronic, more serious health problems such as cardiovascular disease, cardiopulmonary disease, and lung cancer.
Exposure to diesel exhaust and DPM is a known occupational hazard to truckers, railroad workers, and miners using diesel-powered equipment in underground mines. Adverse health effects have also been observed in the general population at ambient atmospheric particle concentrations well below the concentrations in occupational settings.
Recently, concerns have been raised in the U.S. regarding children's exposure to DPM as they ride diesel-powered schoolbuses to and from school. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established the Clean School Bus USA initiative in an effort to unite private and public organizations in curbing student exposures.
Friend of a friend in Oxford, one of the most polluted cities in England, died recently of lung cancer, he had never smoked...no family history.
There's no point leaving the Jury out until there is conclusive proof, it took years for cigarettes to be conclusively linked to lung cancer. If we breathe in stuff that we know is crap...then we can expect some consequences. Protect yourselves fellow cyclists!0 -
Problem is that masks don't protect against the most dangerous small particles, which purportedly go straight through the filters.0
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As with many things, masks are about managing risk as best we can.Sweat saves blood.
Erwin Rommel0 -
So, bearing in mind all the above comments...
If a mask was something you wanted to consider, what is the minimum spec you should look at, what should you avoid, what features should you look for. What outlay should you consider as a minimum?
Any recommendations on actual models?0
