Q&A for How to Make a Gas Mask

A rag saturated in vinegar will help with dust and teargas.

Always have duct tape on hand. This can be used for scratches, leaks and even full-on breaks. When the mask part near your eyes cracks, breaks etc., and you can't see, cut it off so there is only plastic covering your nose, then duct tape it to your face.

Move to a place with fresh air and contact a poison control center immediately. In the United States, your emergency contact is the American Association of Poison Control Centers which can be reached at 1-800-222-1222. Keep a list of emergency numbers in an easily accessible area of your home.

Yes, as long as the edge is sealed and no gases can get in, anything will work.

Rice isn't going to work because activated charcoal's function is to absorb the toxic gases. Rice doesn't have that ability.

From what I know, charcoal based respirators last 30 minutes before the filter needs to be changed.

Not really, it only protects against semi-deadly toxins. The more deadly ones need a military gas mask.

While the ammonia in urine can neutralize some of the agents used in chemical attacks, it's not in enough of a concentration to be very effective. However, if you have nothing else, even something somewhat ineffective is better than nothing at all.

No, it will not. You will need a military grade mask for that.

A hospital mask is to ensure that no dangerous virus and bacteria gets out from you, not from the environment.

No, you can't. The moisture in the air will ruin the filter regardless of its contents, unless you do it with a different, more expensive material.

Activated charcoal. You might be able to find it in a store, but more than likely you'll have to buy it online.

That's why you need an actual gas mask. It's not really a powder. It's a gas that contains small jagged particles that lodge in your tear ducts and nasal passage. This is what causes the reaction to the gas. And why you need a full mask to protect you from the effects. As is true with any agent/gas. The mask filter proposed in this article would only protect you from breathing in airborne contaminants, which would only be effective in a dusty or ash/smoke type environment, not a chemical agent environment.

The more elements in a filter, the better it will be at filtering the agent. And no, it can't be cleaned. Never attempt to clean the filters. They must be properly disposed of. The device in this article is strictly a completely disposable item not intended for reuse. Also, keep in mind that filters will only last a short period depending on the agents they are filtering. In a severely contaminated chemical area where weapons grade chemicals were used, a very good military grade mask and filter will only last from 2 to 10 minutes.

The simple answer is there is no safe way to test a device that is used for real-world purposes. It's like trying to test a bulletproof vest to make sure it's bulletproof. But you could test this device or any filtration device by wearing it in a dusty environment. You could also test its filtering capability by placing perfume near the filter or cologne or any similar item near the filter and then breathing through to see if you can smell the item. You could also use any pungent smelling food or spice to test the mask. Do not use actual chemicals or put yourself in a dangerous situation to test your mask filter. Safety is always the priority.

The smaller the filter, the harder it will be to breathe through. You can test this by trying bigger and smaller devices.

Yes; consult Make Activated Charcoal .

No, you must use activated charcoal because it is steamed and exploded, to make it porous. Health food stores should have it.

Yes, some of them do. Overtime, the filter breaks down, leading to the leakage of asbestos, which is harmful if inhaled.