The Effect of Face Mask Orientation on Particle Filtration

Face masks have been a prevalent topic since COVID-19 appeared, with different forms of face masks becoming popular. Contradictory information on the internet, such as wearing masks inside-out if healthy and wearing masks traditionally if unhealthy, has caused confusion on how to wear masks properly. The purpose of this study was to determine how particle filtration is affected by mask orientation. It was hypothesized that inside-out surgical masks would allow more respiratory particles through than standard-worn surgical masks. It was also hypothesized that gaiter and cotton masks would block the same amount of particles when worn traditionally and inside-out. An airbrush passed particles of a red food coloring solution through each side of a mask onto a paper. Then, the percentage of paper covered by particles, which corresponded to the particles not filtered by the mask, was found. A one-way ANOVA (F(0.0178, 0.0001) = 125.9816, p﹤.0001) found at least one difference between masks and a post-hoc Tukey-Kramer test found that both methods of wearing surgical masks did not differ from each other, wearing cotton masks traditionally and inside-out did not differ from each other, and that both methods of wearing gaiter masks differed from each other. The test results did not support that standard surgical masks would allow fewer respiratory particles through than inside-out surgical masks. It also supported that both methods of wearing gaiter masks, as well as both methods of wearing cotton masks, would let the same number of respiratory particles through