In general, it’s safe to say that vintage gas masks aren’t safe to use anymore. The families of asbestos workers developed mesothelioma just from the dust on the workers’ clothes. Even breathing a really small amount of asbestos can make you sick with mesothelioma. You see, no amount can be considered safe. However, as a general rule, you should avoid wearing any gas mask produced during the war.Īnd if you’re going to argue about the amount of asbestos an old gas mask may have, don’t. This can be a bit challenging since asbestos doesn’t have a distinct smell or feel. How To Tell If A Gas Mask Filter Has Asbestos This is one good reason why the Health and Safety Executive advised that all vintage gas masks should be considered positive for asbestos unless proven otherwise. Typically, people develop or show signs and symptoms of the disease when they’re already in their 60s or 70s. It generally takes anywhere between 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure before one gets diagnosed with mesothelioma. Obviously, the more asbestos you get in contact with, the more at risk you are of developing asbestos diseases.Īnother thing you have to be worried about is the onset of symptoms. Take note that you’re at risk no matter how much asbestos you get exposed to. You won’t see the fibers or even feel them. You won’t even feel your throat itch as you breathe. What’s even scary about it is the fact that there’s no telling if there’s asbestos in the air or if it’s already in your lungs. All kinds of asbestos are considered dangerous once they get into one’s lungs. It doesn’t matter whether you get exposed to white or blue asbestos. The list includes scarring of the lung tissue or asbestosis and mesothelioma, cancer of the lung cavity’s lining. Once that happens, the asbestos fibers can travel into your lungs and get lodged in your lung tissues. When you use an old gas mask with asbestos filters, you can inhale the fibers. They are so small that they can stay in the air even after several days of being released or disturbed. The Problem with Asbestosīy now, you’re probably wondering: Why is asbestos dangerous?Īs mentioned earlier, asbestos was used as a filtering material before because it can be pulled apart into really thin- like microscopically thin- fibers. It was a good choice back then since it’s also resistant to corrosion and certain chemicals. It gives you that woolly consistency, producing fibers that are soft enough to work as a filter material. It can help protect against inhaled airborne substances and certain dangerous chemicals that can get into your skin and respiratory system.Īsbestos is a kind of stone that you can pull apart. Gas masks are designed to have a filter cartridge in them. Why Do Gas Mask Filters Contain Asbestos? This became evident after factory workers who made the gas masks showed an abnormally high number of deaths after the war. They can also settle on the surface of the gas mask and even the bag you’re keeping it in. Once that happens, asbestos fibres can easily get into the air you breathe in. However, as years passed, they turned out to be more than problematic.Īs a gas mask filter goes through the aging process, it turns brittle. They were released not just to adults but children and babies too.ĭuring that time, people thought that asbestos in filters wasn’t really something to be concerned about. Those gas masks also contained asbestos- white asbestos or chrysotile to be exact. From 1937 to 1942, civilian gas masks were released too. Military personnel and those in service weren’t the only people exposed to the WWII gas masks. However, after 1937, the gas masks produced contained the potentially harmful chemical blue asbestos. In fact, they were quite handy during the war. The second world war prompted the production of millions of gas masks. The Problem with WW2 Gas Masks thewartimekitchen Will Old Gas Masks with New Filters Protect You?.Can You Use Vintage Gas Masks Without Filters?.How To Tell If A Gas Mask Filter Has Asbestos.Why Do Gas Mask Filters Contain Asbestos?.To know more about why such masks are potentially dangerous to your health, read on. Those masks were typically made with asbestos, and using them can increase one’s risk of developing health problems like lung cancer. Old gas masks are considered unsafe, particularly those produced in the second world war. Considering the price, you might be tempted to use an old gas mask or even a surplus gas mask. In fact, buying one can easily cost you hundreds of dollars, particularly the really good ones.
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