Respirator Facts for Kids

A respirator is a special device that helps protect you from breathing in bad things from the air. These bad things can be tiny dust particles, germs you can't see, or even harmful gases and fumes. Think of it like a shield for your lungs!

There are two main kinds of respirators. One kind, called an air-purifying respirator, cleans the air you breathe by filtering out the harmful things. The other kind, an air-supplied respirator, gives you fresh, clean air from a different source.

A half face mask, which cleans the air, is often worn to protect against dust and paint fumes.

This picture shows how well a mask protects someone at work. The amount of dust inside the mask changes a lot in minutes. This happens because tiny gaps between the mask and face can open and close.

Air-purifying respirators can be simple masks you use once and throw away, like a dust mask. They can also be stronger masks you can use many times. These often have filters you can change, and they are sometimes called a gas mask.

Images for kids

A white, disposable N95 mask
A lab worker wearing a powered air-purifying respirator
Types of respirators based on their shape. Click to make it bigger.
Astronaut Kate Rubins wearing a 3M 1860 "surgical N95" respirator
A simple Dräger escape respirator. This one has no hood, but uses noseclips to make sure the wearer only breathes through the filter.
A filter that protects against both gas and tiny particles. It's for acid gases. The filter changes color when it's full, which helps you know when to replace it.
A half mask that filters the air and has a valve to breathe out (class: FFP3)
A New York Police Department officer wearing a 3M mask with P100 filters after the 2007 New York City steam explosion
A plague doctor
A drawing of Stenhouse's mask

Respirator facts for kids

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