Does Increasing Breathing Resistance Increase Respirator Faceseal Leakage?
It is likely that changes in leak size affect faceseal leakage to a greater extent than changes in pressure drop across the leak. By Larry L. Janssen, CIH, Bob Weber, CIHJan 01, 2006 MANY respirator program managers have been taught that respirator faceseal leakage increases directly with increased breathing resistance. If this were true, an increase in breathing resistance (pressure drop) because a particle filter has become loaded with a solid aerosol (clogging) would be expected to increase the wearer’s contaminant exposure via increased faceseal leakage. Additionally, a very efficient air purifying element with relatively high pressure drop might offer less overall protection than a less efficient air purifying element with lower pressure drop, again because of increased faceseal leakage. Several authors have used either calculations based on theoretical leaks or measurements made with fixed, artificial leaks to show a positive correlation between pressure drop and leak rate. 1-3 T
