Air Filter Advice? Air Pollution at 299 Today!

[trudat]

I regret taking my kids out for a mile long walk today in the thick smog! Chengdu is the most polluted city in China. 🙁

http://www.aqicn.info/?city=chengdu

Just bought a TotoBobo air filter mask. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of stares. But it’s not a severe looking as a Respro.

Item on Taobao

Respro vs Totobobo: Which Mask Works Better for Air Pollution

With a new baby on the way, I’m seriously considering buying a ¥3000+ air filter （空气净化器）for our home. A friend today cautioned me to buy an air filter machine with replaceable filters that don’t cost just as much as the machine. Anyone out there who can recommend one a machine to me with affordable filters that can be found on Taobao or other site inside China?

[Charlie]

I noticed this today also, this is the worst I’ve seen since I posted this. Anyone have any idea what the cause of this is? Car traffic or something else?

Quote:

Just bought a TotoBobo air filter mask. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of stares. But it’s not a severe looking as a Respro.

I got a Respro mask about 2 weeks ago, it definitely looks extreme. It works out on my bicycle (and I feel like what Elias described in his Psykling in Chengdu post). I get a lot of stares at traffic lights and such.

Other things:

– The fit feels kind of awkward for me, although I’m still adjusting to it. I got the large size and I think it’s just barely large enough

– It restricts your breath a bit, as expected, which slows you down slightly if you’re running or cycling fast

– When wearing it, I feel like Scorpion or Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat

– The build quality looks very good, I expect this to last for many years. I got it with 2 spare filters for about 500 yuan from Natooke Beijing’s Taobao account

[JerryS]

Did you buy it on taobao? That thing is quite expensive!!

[JerryS]

OK just purchased it now. Cheaper there and has reviews on seller. Got dough to kill 😛

Repro Mask on Taobao

[Charlie]

Quote:

Did you buy it on taobao? That thing is quite expensive!!

Yeah, it’s not cheap. I opted to pay a bit more and get spare filters along with it.

[trudat]

Thanks, Charlie. Hadn’t see your other post about the pollution.

Here is an interesting review about Respro from a guy in Bangalore who says that Respro filters our the smell of exhaust from cars whereas Totobobo doesn’t.

[Charlie]

Quote:

Respro filters out the smell of exhaust from cars whereas Totobobo doesn’t.

This is true and hugely important for me. One of the major experiences that pushed me toward the Respro was cycling near major roads during rush hour where each breath feels like a heavy dose of car exhaust. Not fun.

[Vincent]

Quote:

When wearing it, I feel like Scorpion or Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat

Obviously you can only choose one…

Serious question: do you really think wearing such a mask every now and then is gonna have any impact on your health? is it measurable?

[JerryS]

Not sure if its measurable (anything scientific i mean), but i rather have the smog and pollution onto the filter than my lungs. Pollutants does have an adverse affect on the body; long term and short term.

An example (overtly out there example) is how the first responders and firefighters now have cancer from the debris on occurred on that day. This is a very extreme example, but the premise is ‘clean is healthy.’

[Vincent]

Yeah but I mean, is the mask gonna make enough difference? Maybe if you cycle A LOT. But I just do it for like 30 minutes a day.

I assume you’re not wearing that thing 24/7, so you’d still be breathing the same air even when you’re not cycling.

Checking the dirty filters must be a smack in the face though.

I guess every bit helps. It’s like quitting smoking in China. Lungs are still fucked, but less fucked than those who keep smoking.

(hidden brag: quit smoking for 6 months and counting)

[Charlie]

Quote:

Yeah but I mean, is the mask gonna make enough difference? Maybe if you cycle A LOT. But I just do it for like 30 minutes a day.

It makes a difference when exercising because you’re taking much deeper breaths and your lungs are breathing in a lot more air. That’s why the US Consulate suggests you do not exercise outside when the pollution is particularly bad.

[trudat]

I read that just living in a city in China is like getting second-hand smoke or the equivalent of smoking 1/6th of a cigarette per day. I also posted about yesterday’s miserable smog on the Chengdu Family Living Yahoo group and someone responded that his friend who lived in China for 20 years died of lung cancer.

This blog post about a cyclist in London was interesting. Wearing a Totobobo mask eliminated her sore throats.

[Vincent]

Quote:

the equivalent of smoking 1/6th of a cigarette per day

Where did you read this? That’s a lot less than I would’ve expected actually.

[Charlie]

This is the push notification I got last night:

[trudat]

Quote:

Where did you read this? That’s a lot less than I would’ve expected actually.

A Day in Beijing is Like Smoking Only One Sixth of a Cigarette

Thankfully it’s only 152 today in Chengdu. But sad for Shanghai-ites suffering at an abysmal 320.

[Mr. Klink]

Whoa, how’d I miss this thread? Natooke is the distributor for Respro in China. We haven’t ordered any yet because people here don’t find pollution as pressing a problem as in Beijing, but soon enough we’ll have the full line available in all sizes/colors.

I use mine for the worst of days or if I’m exercising in polluted weather. It’s the difference between feeling that chalky I’ve smoked way too much feeling and normality.

There are two filter types that are interchangeable within all masks. One has a chemical agent applied to filter harmful molecules (car exhaust) whereas the ordinary filter just captures all forms of fine particulate (coal powered China dust).

I have to say they take some getting used to, but make all the difference when you can’t see 100 meters because of the “fog”.

I’ll put out a notice when that’s the case so if anyone’s interested you can swing in and check them out.

[Chris Ziich]

I would be interested in trying one of these masks out. I also noticed the air quality this morning and rocked a bandanna, which is less than ideal. But yeah, since I’ve been riding, I’ve noticed that immediately afterwards I would have bad coughs and mucous. Gross.

[Charlie]

Quote:

I would be interested in trying one of these masks out. I also noticed the air quality this morning and rocked a bandanna, which is less than ideal. But yeah, since I’ve been riding, I’ve noticed that immediately afterwards I would have bad coughs and mucous. Gross.

I’ve noticed the same thing. The Respro takes care of that at the cost of the slight discomfort of wearing a mask.

[Mr. Klink]

Made the mistake today of doing a 60k ride without it. Figured it wasn’t too bad. Quickly realized it was wishful thinking. It’s amazing the stuff you cough up afterwards.

Then the amazement wears off and I usually just feel like an ass.

[dnvphoto]

check out this specific advice from greenpeace with mask info:

http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/campaigns/air-pollution/problems/coal-hard-truth-air-pollution/

[Author]

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