Pollution masks.....advice please

TBH, I haven't used one for any length of time - always felt like it stopped me breathing when i was going at full pelt.
I had a Respro Bandit for when I was riding in dusty conditions. Not sure how it would stack up to microparticles
Some more here: https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/outdoor-activity/cycling/best-anti-pollution-mask-cycling-review-london-a7952771.html
Don't care what it says in the article (I have a few masks for snowboarding) - and they all get really wet once you heat up.

A doubled up buff may filter dust, the harmful particulates from Diesel vehicles will sail right through it, its just your own placebo.

I use a pollution mask during my commute. I just went with a bog-standard Respro anti pollution mask. It's not comfortable and it fills with moisture/spit if you ride at any sort of intensity, equally it does make breathing more difficult (though I can't think of a mask that wouldn't). However, it does get the job done, which is ultimately the most important factor.

For me, I didn't spend too much time investigating, but just wanted to get a solution asap as I was getting a sore throat from commuting in London traffic. The main thing I used to feel was a searing on the back of my throat when i'd be breathing heavily, especially behind big busses and vans. That felt like hot particles getting blasted out the car and into my lungs. As a result, I was getting an irritated throat and had a constant light cough after 2 weeks of commuting.

I can't say I like having to wear the mask, but it does make a big difference as far as reducing the effects of pollution on my health, and you do get used to it after time. Given I like to train on my commutes, I tend to not wear the mask for half of it, as the route I take is generally quite light in traffic once i'm a little further out, but definitely want to be wearing it when in dense traffic.

The reason I mention the negatives is that I think its valuable to understand what you are getting yourself in for, but to also know the benefits are worth it. The worst thing that can happen is that you end up buying one and get overwhelmed by the horrible sensation and just stop wearing it instantly, you will need to be willing to give it time, but they are defo worth it.

Some have already seen it, but GCN released a clip about city air pollution and its concerns on cycling in the city:

How Toxic Is City Cycling? | GCN Investigates

To sum up, cities have high air pollutants in various forms. However, cycling as a form of physical activity outweighs far more than the health risks from air pollution. The evidence is compelling, but there seems to be a tipping point to this balance; for example, heavily polluted cities like New Delhi was mentioned and was suggested that exercising over 90min in heavily polluted areas can actually tip the balance and the health risks increases over the benefit from physical activity.

So what are the practical advice for cyclists?:

- Avoid cycling in rush hour
- Take back roads
- Effects of face masks are inconclusive for cycling: 1) face masks can only filter some of the many air pollutants, not all; 2) face masks must be completely sealed around the face for them to be effective (any gap will let in pollutants and negate their function); 3) they are very uncomfortable under physical exertion...
- Have a balanced diet to combat inflammatory reaction to air pollution.

I thought these were informed and very pragmatic advice from the researchers and GCN.

***Apparently there's an evidence that air inside the car is significantly worse than outside!!***

Just been reading up on masks for work and would like to clarify a few points raised above. Most respro masks are N99 / FFP3 rated as are cambridge mask company pro masks. This is the highest rated dust mask category. It filters out a minimum of 99% of all particulates PM2.5, PM10 and as fine as PM0.3. PM0.3 is 0.3 microns which is the size that gets into your blood.

Totobobo is FFP2/ P2 at best and P1 for basic filter type.

The disposable, industrial mask linked to above is FFP1 the lowest category with iirc 90% filtered out particulates. That's only good for light dust conditions such as hand sanding.

These ratings mean 4x occupational exposure limit / 4x for assigned protection factor for FFP1, 12x/10x for FFP2 and 50x/20x for FFP3.

Add to that not all masks work against organics / oils. For that you need CV after the FFP number. The better respro masks have this as have cambridge pro models.

Of course good fit is essential. Totobobo one's are transparent and scissor customisable so fit is easier to achieve. Poor fit reduces effectiveness. I suspect if you're not getting the benefits it's because you've not fitted them right. At work we hire a guy to come in and fit masks to new employees who n need them. They get trained in fitting and putting them on properly. It's not something you can guess at.

As to difficulty breathing, isn't that like wearing one of those breath training devices to exercise your breathing muscles? Consider it resistance training for your breath muscles. Just think how much your physical prowess on tie bike might improve when you're not wearing it after some time using it.

I have a Respro Techno Mask, which I use in London. It must be doing some good, because when I take it off to have a drink, I can “taste” the air.

Main disadvantage of wearing a mask is that your voice is muted if you need to warn a pedestrian about to step off the kerb without looking.