In the image, the fibers of a cotton cloth mask imaged with a scanning electron microscope.The scale bar in the photo is 25 micrometers.(Photo: EP Vicenzi / Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute / NIST / Handout / Reuters).This other microscopic image is of a synthetic cloth mask.A neat weave pattern can be seen.(Photo: EP Vicenzi / Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute / NIST / Handout / Reuters).This is the comparison between one and the other.The images have been released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology of the United States, which has carried out a study in which it concludes that those made of cotton fabric work better than synthetic ones.(Photo: EP Vicenzi / Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute / NIST / Handout / Reuters).The messy fibers in a cotton cloth mask like this one improve its efficiency by being moistened by your breath.As the microscopic particles pass by, they absorb some of this moisture and grow, becoming trapped.(Photo: EP Vicenzi / Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute / NIST / Handout / Reuters).In the case of synthetic fabric masks, such as this one made of polyester, their filtration efficiency does not vary in humid conditions.(Photo: EP Vicenzi / Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute / NIST / Handout / Reuters).Here you can see another polyester mask under a microscope.They are made by a process called extrusion in which the polymer raw material is squeezed through an opening in the same way that spaghetti comes out of a pasta machine.(Photo: EP Vicenzi / Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute / NIST / Handout / Reuters).These two microscopic photos show the fibers of another synthetic mask.In this case, one made of rayon.(Photo: EP Vicenzi / Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute / NIST / Handout / Reuters).This color-retouched photograph shows the fibers of an N95 mask.The filter material is in purple and the protector in white.Those of this type, such as hygienic or KN95, provide the same filtration efficiency in conditions of high and low humidity.(Photo: EP Vicenzi / Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute / NIST / Handout / Reuters).PHOTO GALLERY.Although at the beginning of the pandemic there were doubts about its effectiveness, the mask has become the best remedy to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend cloth ones for the general public, but there are questions about which material is better and scientists are still working on it, according to Yahoo!Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology of the United States (NIST) have carried out a study testing different materials of masks and conclude that those of cotton fabrics work better than synthetic ones, since, when they are moistened by the breath of a person, they are 33% better at capturing particles than when dry.Cotton fabric masks absorb small amounts of water from your breath, and as microscopic particles pass through, they absorb some of this moisture and grow, becoming trapped.However, those made of synthetic fibers (nylon, polyester, rayon ...) do not change their filtration efficiency in humid conditions.The study maintains that hygienic masks and KN95s provide the same filtration efficiency in high and low humidity conditions, although it makes it clear that all must be replaced when they get wet and that we are talking about minimal conditions of humidity caused by breath.In microscope images of cotton fabric and synthetic fabric masks shared by NIST itself, the behavior of one and the other and the conclusions of the study can be better appreciated.© Empresa Editora El Comercio SAJorge Salazar Araoz N ° 171, La Victoria, Lima.Copyright © |Gestion.pe |El Comercio Group |All rights reservedYou have reached the news limit.To continue reading, purchase theARE YOU SUBSCRIBED TO THE PRINTED JOURNAL?Enjoy 1 month FREE and then S / 19 soles per month.