Important Takeaways:

• Mask study published by NIH suggests N95 Covid masks may expose wearers to dangerous level of toxic compounds linked to seizures and cancer
• The surgical N95 mask has been held up as the gold standard when it comes to protecting against Covid.
• But a study quietly re-shared by the National Institutes of Health in spring suggests the tight-fitting mask may expose users to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals.
• Researchers from Jeonbuk National University in South Korea looked at two types of disposable medical-grade masks, as well as several reusable cotton masks.
• The study found that the chemicals released by these masks had eight times the recommended safety limit of toxic volatile organic compounds (TVOCs).
• Inhaling TVOCs has been linked to health issues like headaches and nausea, while prolonged and repeated has been linked to organ damage and even cancer.
• However, there are ways to reduce the danger, they said. ‘Exposure can be significantly reduced if a mask is opened and left to sit for at least 30 min,’ the researchers wrote.
• This suggests that the packaging of these masks could play a role in the amount of chemicals they have.
• The study was published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety and on the NIH’s website.

Read the original article by clicking here.