3M and Yunnan Baiyao related products are found to be substandard

The efficacy of anti haze masks is mostly unreliable

Haze masks are gradually becoming popular products, and their quality problems are also prominent, which is quite worrying to the industry. The Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision recently announced the quality and safety risk monitoring results of masks with "PM2.5 protection" function, and more than 80% of 69 batches of samples were unqualified. From the perspective of the industry, the current haze mask market is really chaotic, and the inconsistency between the implementation standards and the testing standards of enterprises has become one of the main reasons for the high proportion of unqualified products, so the formulation of industry standards is imminent.

Multi brand masks are listed in the quality inspection black list

The test results of anti haze masks released by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision showed that among 69 batches of products sampled, the measured value of the filter efficiency of 56 batches of masks was 90% lower than the reference value, accounting for more than 80% of the total samples. The 16 batches of masks had incomplete identification information, did not name the product implementation standard or production date, and the measured pH value of 24 batches of textile mask fabrics or linings exceeded 8.5, It accounts for 70% of the total sampling number of textile masks.

Many well-known brands are included in the unqualified list. Among them, the filtering efficiency of 3M Nexikang comfortable mask is 81.3%, the filtering efficiency of Green Shield PM2.5 antibacterial anti haze mask is 53.5%, the filtering efficiency of another Green Shield PM2.5 non-woven mask (adult version) is 66.2%, and the filtering efficiency of Yunnan Baiyao haze protective mask is the lowest, only 24.2%.

In March last year, among 38 batches of samples collected by Shanghai, 24 batches of masks were found to be unqualified, 21 batches of product labels were not marked with filter material grades, and 6 batches were not marked with product implementation standards. To further understand the situation, a reporter from Beijing Business Daily tried to contact 3M China and Yunnan Baiyao Office yesterday, but the phone was unanswered. However, Shanghai Conlon Fiber, the manufacturer of Green Shield masks, did not respond to the interview questions sent by reporters as of press release after confirming receipt of the interview questions.

Haze mask market confusion

Since the winter of 2012, with the word "haze", anti haze masks have come into people's view, claiming various protective functions such as "PM2.5 protection", "dust isolation", "haze prevention", etc., and become hot off the shelf products of manufacturers. Many textile enterprises are also eyeing the haze economy and have started to produce anti haze masks. The price of each mask in the market varies from 1 yuan to hundreds of yuan.

"Market chaos is bound to lead to the emergence of unqualified products, and the inconsistency between the implementation standards of enterprises and the testing standards is also one of the reasons why most haze mask products are unqualified", said the relevant person in charge of the China Industrial Textiles Industry Association, "At present, the country does not have a unified standard for the production of anti haze masks. Some enterprises implement the medical mask standard, some implement the dust-proof industrial mask standard, and some enterprises use their own enterprise standards, even some enterprises do not implement any standards."

The reporter from the Beijing Business Daily found that the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision adopted national standards such as Respiratory Protective Articles Self suction Filtration Anti particle Respirator, Hygienic Standards for Disposable Hygienic Articles, and National Technical Specifications for Basic Safety of Textile Products to monitor the risks of items such as mask identification, filtration efficiency, and microbial indicators.

National standards need to be improved

It is understood that both medical protective masks and industrial dust-proof masks have national standards and are included in the production license management. However, there are no special regulations on respirators for haze protection.

Some insiders believe that driven by the economic benefits of haze, the market is flooded with all kinds of masks under the banner of haze prevention, and enterprises from all walks of life have rushed to the beach. In this context, the formulation of industrial standards for haze protective masks is imminent.

In addition to the provisions on filtration efficiency, the leakage rate should also be considered in the formulation of standards for haze masks. "The filtration efficiency is measured in a sealed environment, and the test results are related to the materials used in the mask. In practical applications, the leakage degree should also be considered, that is, the fit between the mask and the face, which is related to the shape of the mask", said the head of the above association, "Although filtering efficiency is not the only standard, consumers are not recommended to buy products with low filtering efficiency."

According to the reporter of Beijing Business Daily, the formulation plan for the standard of civil masks for anti haze masks has been launched and is expected to be released this year.

Beijing Business Daily reporter Qi Lin and Zhao Xiujing