Face Filter Masks


Nan's Nook : Archives : Grow Chambers & Clean Rooms : Clean Rooms
Posted by: Mycota Dec 28 02, 10:37 AM GMT
For those of you who attempt to make prints, spore syringes, G2G and/or work with agar plates. Wearing a mask cuts down on contams. There is around 2000 possible contam's in every breath you inhale (indoors). Unless you are in a quasi/clean room.

If you exhale into any area where you are attempting to do CLEAN WORK.

You are SPEWING possible contam's right into whatever you are working with. Get the picture?

As in spew contams into your prints, your spore solution, your liquid culture, your agar plates = contam's.

3M face filters are a GOOD & WISE INVESTMENT. I use the 6000 series. It is light & comfortable to wear. It also helps to wear a SHOWER CAP over your HAIR (duh).

http://www.homeenv.com/masks_and_respirators.asp

Or try Home Depot, Lowes or any paint & hardware store. You will not regret using a face mask. Unless you enjoy seeing your work, wasted.



Mycota wink.gif


Posted by: 420M Dec 28 02, 03:20 PM GMT
Ummm. ..I think I will invest in one of those!

420M

Posted by: phillinwierd Dec 28 02, 04:31 PM GMT
I also wear a respirator while working. I wear the diposable paper/fiber type though. I've worn the cartridge type as a welder and it worked great for filtering out all the metals and chemicals in the smoke, but it doesn't filter as one exhales like the diposable paper mask type. Do you see where I'm going with this? Is it possible that we exhale contams even while wearing the cartidge type respirator? Hmmmmmm. Methinks it's quite possible. What do you think?
The hair net is a good idea too. Who the hell knows what's growing in my dreads?
Enjoy your posts very much.
Are you the guy that's posting the war journal? If so I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I've read the book "We were Soldiers once and Young" by Col. Harold Moore about the battles at LZs X-Ray and Albany in the Ia Drang valley (several times). Never fails to bring tears to my eyes. Went to Washington D.C., visited the Wall, actually found the names of the men who fought and died in those battles.
Your stuff is very well written. Have you ever thought about getting it published? If not, you should.
Peace.

Posted by: HapplyDeranged Dec 28 02, 05:12 PM GMT
3m also makes a dust mask with a little filter in it 2 for 5 bucks at wallmart....unless your going to be doing alot of "clean work" go with them.

Posted by: Fungusmaximus Dec 28 02, 05:45 PM GMT
I used to be an industrial painter, and I have a full oxygen mask w/ hose and control valve. I need to find oxygen tanks and air output filters can you help. Ill go check and see but my O mask might be 3M?? unsure.gif

Posted by: phillinwierd Dec 28 02, 07:42 PM GMT
As far as the oxygen tanks go, you should be able to get them refilled at a welders supply shop. They usually deal with compressed gasses of various types. I used a forced air respirator when welding inside boiler drums and other enclosed areas. The shop had them filled through our regular gas supplier. It was called aviators oxygen. Much lower oxygen content and more nitrogen than that used for oxy- acetylene cutting. Also used it as a dropmaster on HC-130s. Great for hangovers too!
An autobody paint and supply shop should be able to order you replacement parts for your mask if you provide them with make and model numbers. But, there too again, is the air you exhale free of contaminates? huh.gif

Posted by: Fungusmaximus Dec 28 02, 07:47 PM GMT
Exactly! I need a filter for air blown out, Im not sure if that is possible.

Posted by: phillinwierd Dec 28 02, 07:58 PM GMT
Hmmmm....... What about trying to tape some of that hospital gown material you guys were talking about using for bio filters on grain jars over the mask outlet. That may work if you really want to use a forced air system if it doesn't create too much back pressure.

Posted by: Mycota Dec 28 02, 10:37 PM GMT
QUOTE (phillinwierd @ Dec 28 02, 09:31 PM GMT)

but it doesn't filter as one exhales like the diposable paper mask type. Do you see where I'm going with this? Is it possible that we exhale contams even while wearing the cartidge type respirator? Hmmmmmm. Methinks it's quite possible. What do you think?


Sheeez. I do myc work second nature & forget to explain some fime points, now & again.

Phil is right about exhaling through a 3M mask. Since I do the clean type myco work in a quasi/clean room. The air is fairly clean anyway. It is both positive pressure hepa filter & has a secondary internal hepa system. So, the air in there is double hepa filtered, to begin with.

Once inside, I run both Hepa's, spent some time cleaning & getting things spick & span, to allow time for anything (contam) I may have brought in (on me), or in my lungs to get sucked into a filter. Then, after 15 - 20 minutes, turn off the hepa's, turn on the old Motown music, dawn the mask & get with it.

What I forgot to explain was; I slide a peice of filter fabric into the exhale orfice of the 3M mask, before putting it on. That covers the chance, I might exhale some crap still stuck in my lungs, into the work. I change it, every time I put the sucker on.

Sometimes, I just wear a surgical mask, if I have less than an hours work to do. The object is; wear a mask of some sort or another. It pays off in the long run. I just love it, when I do some touchy clean work task & get ZERO contam's.

Even with all these precautions, even under the flow hood, every now & then, a contam sneaks in somehow, some way. Prints taken in the wild, can be the real nasty bastards, out of them all. But, a guy has to do......... what he has to do.



Mycota wink.gif


Posted by: Nanook Dec 28 02, 11:48 PM GMT
OK, I was glad to see you clear that up, I wondered too, tho I would have filtered the exhaust vents. BTW the clean room tek write up is first class wink.gif

They like nothing more than detail from experts tongue.gif

What else was I going to say... Oh yeah, on filter masks. Get one anyway.

2) Wear it when cleaning sporulating contams and sanitize it afterwards.

3) Wear it when dumping out vermiculite, perlite, powdered lime, and while dry pouring and mixing cactus soil. Powdered mineral and rock dust is very hazardous to the lungs.

smile.gif

Posted by: HapplyDeranged Dec 29 02, 04:16 PM GMT
an envestment worth every penny... cool.gif

Posted by: Chronic007 Dec 29 02, 04:26 PM GMT
Any cool pics of that room Mycota?
Chronic007

Posted by: Mycota Dec 29 02, 07:11 PM GMT
QUOTE (Chronic007 @ Dec 29 02, 09:26 PM GMT)
Any cool pics of that room Mycota?
Chronic007

No recent ones. This isn't exactly "cool", but you get an idea of the layout, in part of the puppy. It's a 20 foot steel cargo container, divided into 2 rooms. Mycota

Shroom Glossary