Disposable Mask Standard
Nov 08, 2022
Each country has their own certification standard for each mask type. For example, Europe uses the EN 14683 standard for surgical masks, whereas China uses the YY 0469 standard. Each standard varies a little by country, however they are broadly similar. For respirator masks, China uses the KN standard (e.g. KN95) and the US uses the N standard (e.g. N95).
- Single use masks (normally one layer, very thin) are typically only effective at capturing larger dust particles, but can do so fairly well.
- Surgical mask standards have higher requirements for capturing virus-sized (0.1 micron) particles, however they vary by region.
- Pollution masks (respirators) typically capture >90% of virus-sized particles. You can use the rating system in the table above to see the exact proportion each certification requires. This includes ratings such as N95, KN95, FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3.
