Experts say the U.S. government has unintentionally encouraged a dependency on imported masks by failing to promote elastomeric respirators, a reusable mask that is domestically produced.
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While studying abroad in Singapore as a University of WisconsinâMadison mechanical engineering undergraduate student in 2013, Max Bock-Aronson experienced heightened levels of air pollution firsthand.
He also happened to be taking an engineering course on air pollution, where he was learning, among other things, about the mechanics of filtration.
âI was learning that the masks that people commonly wore in Southeast Asia, such as cloth masks and surgical masks, arenât actually very effective at filtration,â he says. âSo for dealing with poor air quality, these masks unfortunately donât provide much benefit.â
It was the Facebook ad for a mask doubling as a hair scrunchie that pushed Dan Castle to despair. His company, CastleGrade, makes a reusable, high-filtration face mask that has been popular among dentists, teachers and those who work in proximity to others and willing to pay $44.99.