Face masks reduce intake of cancer causing chemicals

Environmental researchers have found that wearing surgical masks not only reduces the risk of coronavirus infection, but also our intake of cancer-causing chemicals floating around in the air.

Members of the team from the University of Science and Technology wore surgical masks for several hours in more than a dozen locations, such as bus stops, commercial kitchens and temples. The idea was to see how much pollution they absorbed.

The masks were tested in the lab specifically for poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – or PAH – which are formed by the incomplete combustion of organic matter. These are widely distributed in the environment and are believed to be as harmful to us as smoking.

PAH particles are eight thousand times smaller than the droplets generated by sneezing. But the researchers found that surgical masks filter out the vast majority of the toxic chemicals.

Professor Simon Chan, who led the HKUST team, said PAH are often attached to dust and hover in the environment. He said wearing regular surgical masks will prevent up to 75 percent of them from entering our body.