10/17/01

 BOZEMAN— Are you concerned about bioterrorism? Don't bother buying a gas mask, says an air quality expert at Montana State University. In fact, a gas mask that doesn't fit right could actually do more harm than good.

Mike Vogel, a housing specialist with the MSU Extension Service, says the recent spike in gas mask sales is "a lot of hype and wasted expense." The only benefit to owning a gas mask is psychological, he says, because so many factors apply beyond just purchasing the equipment.

Vogel says construction workers and others who use gas masks on the job must first pass a physical exam that measures lung capacity.

"If a person has ever put one of these on, they'll soon find out they're not breathing the same volume of air they were breathing before. They're breathing through a filter, and that's restricting the air into their lungs," Vogel says. Gas masks must also be individually fitted. A mask bought off the shelf or over the Internet will probably not offer the proper fit. Vogel adds that many of the masks and other equipment purchased from military surplus stores could be brittle and cracked, and may not work well anyway.

Secondly, Vogel says, specialized canisters are used to filter different hazards.

"One size doesn't fit all, as far as biologicals go," he says. Without knowing which biological or chemical agent you may encounter, your gas mask may not have the proper filter attached. Also, many people who encounter a hazardous substance do not show symptoms of exposure for up to 40 days. By that point, a gas mask would do no good at all.

Finally, in order to truly protect yourself from airborne hazards, Vogel says, you would have to wear the gas mask 24 hours a day.

"In order to be effective ,you're going to have to haul one of these everywhere you go, because you don't know when and where. If you knew when you might need it, you could make great preparations. But when exposed, you need to have the mask on at that point in time," says Vogel.

Send questions or comments to Suzi Taylor, MSU Communications Services, Bozeman, MT 59717 or email Vogel and Taylor at taylor@montana.edu.

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