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Cool Teacher

Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 930 Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:59 pm Post subject: P.M. 2.5 Is this serious? |
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Today the sky was very hazy with lots of P.M 2.5 in the air. I looked it up and it means particulate matter and 2.5 is the size in mircometres. It means it can get in your lungs so maybe we shoudl wear masks to wrok.
My wife says there are warnings about it on TV and it comes from China. What happense if there is a big warning? Does it mean we can stay at home?
I think this time I beat Pitarou to be the chicken little.
Thakns for any information you can give me.  |
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Big_H
Joined: 21 Dec 2013 Posts: 115
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:18 pm Post subject: Re: P.M. 2.5 Is this serious? |
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Cool Teacher wrote: |
I think this time I beat Pitarou to be the chicken little. |
Cool Teacher wrote: |
shoudl ..wrok.. happense..Thakns |
You were in that much of a hurry?
I doubt this case'd be more successful in stopping schools where minor earthquakes and swine flu had failed. Using masks is prevalent in the culture and if they are effective for this event, then it won't be a panic-inducing experience to start wearing them again. |
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ZennoSaji
Joined: 02 Feb 2010 Posts: 87 Location: Mito, Ibaraki
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:24 am Post subject: Re: P.M. 2.5 Is this serious? |
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Big_H wrote: |
Cool Teacher wrote: |
shoudl ..wrok.. happense..Thakns |
You were in that much of a hurry? |
He doesn't have to be in a hurry to type like that.  |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 7:13 am Post subject: |
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Chicken Little's ex-girlfriend was a toxicologist who, for her MSc degree, did some early working demonstrating that PM2.5s are a thing to worry about.
Is there a problem in Japan? The levels aren't that high, although it's still enough to aggravate asthma (as my wife can attest). I don't have any health figures to hand, but the PM2.5 levels in Beijing are sometimes so high you can see the haze indoors! If the people of Beijing can survive in that, we're probably okay.
If you're still concerned, or if you have lung problem, you can get a special filter mask for about $100. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 7:14 am Post subject: Re: P.M. 2.5 Is this serious? |
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Big_H wrote: |
Using masks is prevalent in the culture and if they are effective for this event.... |
Normal masks aren't. The PM2.5s are so small they just slip straight through the weave. |
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Cool Teacher

Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 930 Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:40 pm Post subject: Re: P.M. 2.5 Is this serious? |
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Pitarou wrote: |
Big_H wrote: |
Using masks is prevalent in the culture and if they are effective for this event.... |
Normal masks aren't. The PM2.5s are so small they just slip straight through the weave. |
Really?
My wife says I should use a mask but I don't want to so now I can tell ehr that they don't work!  |
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nightsintodreams
Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 558
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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I read this scaremongering post, and as usual thought it was a load of shite. But....last night when i went to the local 7/11 I could clearly see the smog in the glow of the street lights. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 1:44 am Post subject: Re: P.M. 2.5 Is this serious? |
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Cool Teacher wrote: |
Pitarou wrote: |
Big_H wrote: |
Using masks is prevalent in the culture and if they are effective for this event.... |
Normal masks aren't. The PM2.5s are so small they just slip straight through the weave. |
Really?
My wife says I should use a mask but I don't want to so now I can tell ehr that they don't work!  |
No. Just wear the damn mask. It's easier that way. |
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Cool Teacher

Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 930 Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:10 am Post subject: |
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nightsintodreams wrote: |
I read this scaremongering post, and as usual thought it was a load of shite. But....last night when i went to the local 7/11 I could clearly see the smog in the glow of the street lights. |
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Cool Teacher

Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 930 Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:11 am Post subject: Re: P.M. 2.5 Is this serious? |
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Pitarou wrote: |
Cool Teacher wrote: |
Pitarou wrote: |
Big_H wrote: |
Using masks is prevalent in the culture and if they are effective for this event.... |
Normal masks aren't. The PM2.5s are so small they just slip straight through the weave. |
Really?
My wife says I should use a mask but I don't want to so now I can tell ehr that they don't work!  |
No. Just wear the damn mask. It's easier that way. |
Is this the voice of experience?
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:13 am Post subject: Re: P.M. 2.5 Is this serious? |
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Cool Teacher wrote: |
Pitarou wrote: |
Cool Teacher wrote: |
My wife says I should use a mask but I don't want to... |
Just wear the damn mask. It's easier that way. |
Is this the voice of experience?
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Nobody told me there was a "gagging" clause in the wedding vows. |
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Harp
Joined: 09 Jan 2014 Posts: 46 Location: As far north as you can get, before you hit Saitama
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:39 am Post subject: |
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Apparently there are two types of masks that may provide some protection against PM 2.5:
N95 mask (based on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Standard)
DS1 mask (based on the Dust Respirator Standard as specified by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)
No idea if you can just walk into Matsumoto Kiyoshi and ask for these types of mask, but here you are (this came from an international school email to parents about PM2.5). |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:29 am Post subject: |
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Harp wrote: |
Apparently there are two types of masks that may provide some protection against PM 2.5:
N95 mask (based on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Standard)
DS1 mask (based on the Dust Respirator Standard as specified by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)
No idea if you can just walk into Matsumoto Kiyoshi and ask for these types of mask, but here you are (this came from an international school email to parents about PM2.5). |
Thanks for the tip. I've looked into it a little more.
I found lots of sources that confirm that the N95 (a medical mask) is a good choice. A disposable N95 masks retails for about 200 yen on Amazon JP. (I thought they cost much more than that!) In fact, I think I'll get some for my wife -- the PM2.5 aggravates her asthma.
I can't find much info about the DS1. (Here's the official source, but it's not very helpful about DS1.) But, looking on Amazon, they certainly seem similar in price and design to the N95. The next step up in quality is the DS2, and there seem to be on-line sellers who are marketing them to parents concerned about their kids' lungs. |
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Mr. Leafy

Joined: 24 Apr 2012 Posts: 246 Location: North of the Wall
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