การจำแนกสารอินทรีย์ระเหยจากหน้ากากอนามัยแบบใช้ครั้งเดียว

Abstract

Nowadays hygiene face masks, personal protective equipment, are widely used for protection against airborne transmission diseases and particulate matter. However, hygiene face masks made of polymer can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which is harmful to wearers. This study aimed to measure VOCs quantitatively and qualitatively from four brands of single-use medical face masks and four brands of non-medical face masks. Each face mask was tested by cutting into a 1 x 5 cm² piece, placing it into a 20 mL glass sample vial, and sealing it tightly. The sample was then shaken at 30 ^oC for 24 hours. In-vial VOCs were sampled using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with a DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber for 3 minutes, then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results show alkanes were major emitted compounds from all tested face masks due to their production of using polypropylene fibers. Additionally, ketone, aromatic, and alcohol compounds were detected, which are presumed to be additives in the manufacturing process. The total VOC emission rates were 0.03-0.14 µg/m²h^-1. The statistical analysis using the linear regression method indicated that the number of days and type of face mask had no statistically significant effect (p-value > 0.05) on the quantity of TVOC emitted from the face masks. A simple method of air-drying face masks for 3 days was found to reduce TVOC by two to five times. Furthermore, VOC emission standards for single-use face masks are thought to assist protecting consumers.