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Respirator masks protect health but impact performance: a review - PubMed

  • ️Fri Jan 01 2016

Review

Respirator masks protect health but impact performance: a review

Arthur T Johnson. J Biol Eng. 2016.

Abstract

Respiratory protective masks are used whenever it is too costly or impractical to remove airborne contamination from the atmosphere. Respirators are used in a wide range of occupations, form the military to medicine. Respirators have been found to interfere with many physiological and psychological aspects of task performance at levels from resting to maximum exertion. Many of these limitations have been investigated in order to determine quantitatively how much performance decrement can be expected from different levels of respirator properties. The entire system, including respirator and wearer interactions, must be considered when evaluating wearer performances. This information can help respirator designers to determine trade-offs or managers to plan to compensate for reduced productivity of wearers.

Keywords: Anxiety; Communications; Exercise; Heart; Heat; Respiration; Vision.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1

Schematic representation of performance time while exercising wearing a protective mask

Fig. 2
Fig. 2

Oxygen delivery to the muscles is a multistep process, beginning with gas exchange in the lungs (right), being transported in the blood (middle), and finally being used in the muscles (left)

Fig. 3
Fig. 3

Pulmonary ventilation increases linearly with oxygen uptake until the anaerobic threshold, and then dramatically greater once stimulated by additional carbon dioxide

Fig. 4
Fig. 4

Effect of body temperature on dexterity, cognition, and motor skills

Fig. 5
Fig. 5

Performance for several tasks as visual acuity varies while wearing respirators. The Snellen eye chart denotes better vision for higher line numbers. Control panel recognition and performance ability is particularly sensitive to visual acuity

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