by info on January 18, 2010
We are excited to introduce a new low cost anti-pollution filters. It provide sub-micron performance targeted at the most dangerous fine particles from traffic pollution (PM2.5 & PM10). It is also extremely effective against wood dust from power sander or wood turning. The filtration efficiency is between 90%~99%.
The filter cost below one dollar a pair, by far the best value in the market. Combining with the well known advantage of Totobobo mask, we are making top notch protection and comfort with extra affordability. We trust that this new filter will help to extend the market reach. According to user’s feedback, we learnt that the cost of the filter is a crucial factor in deciding the long term affordability of a reusable respirator. After all, the mask is only a one time investment. Cost of the filter is the long term issue.
Now for less than 1 dollar a week, everyone can keep the lung clean while enjoying the benefit of cycling, even in the most polluted cities.
This new anti-pollution filters can be purchase from our BUY page immediately.
30 pairs of anti-pollution filter in zip lock bag
Cost comparison of Totobobo filter with competition:
Brand
Totobobo
Respro
I Can Breathe
|
Filter (USD)
1
10
4.8
|
Duration (hours)
10
30
30 (estimated)
|
Cost per hour
0.1
0.33
0.16
|
Tagged as:
best value,
filter cost,
g-flow,
I Can Breathe,
pollution
by info on January 10, 2010
The air pollution reached a new high on September 24, 2009 in Hong Kong, triggering a warning for people with heart or respiratory illnesses, according to the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department. I have the impression that the air pollution in Hong Kong is getting worst due to the industrial activities in the nearby southern China, especially the Pearl River delta area. But I have no idea how bad the pollution is. When I am travelling there I feel the air is OK but it is certainly more polluted than Singapore.
Hong Kong air pollution
Air pollution causes premature death for thousands of people in Hong Kong each year. It strikes hardest at those who need our care most – children, the elderly and people who are already sick. What happens when you inhale pollutants? Tiny particles (PM2.5, PM10) and gases move deep into the lungs and into your bloodstream. The insides of your lungs can become damaged and inflamed, making it easier for you to get sick. Over time, air pollution can cause permanent changes to your lungs, just like smoking.
Worried about your children breathing dirty air? You have good reason to be. Their lungs are still developing, and since they breathe faster and tend to spend more time outdoors being active, air pollution affects them much more.
According to the Hong Kong Lung Foundation:
- Children living in areas with heavy traffic have more chest problems, such as chest infections and asthma, than those living in cleaner environment;
- During days with high air pollution, more people with asthma, chronic lung diseases or heart diseases have to see their doctors or are admitted to hospital because their disease get worse. Some may even die;
- A small increase in lung cancer risk has also been reported as a result of living in heavily polluted cities;
- Shorter life expectancy of people living in polluted areas compared with those living in cleaner environment by 2 to 3 years.
- Respirable suspended particles (RSP) Causes inflammation of the lungs and airways
- (RSP) Fuel from traffic- Most harmful to health among pollutants, mostly diesel, Construction and road dust. Most harmful to health among pollutants
- Incineration
Dylos laser particle scanner: Nathan Road particle pollution count
Over the last few weeks I brought along a portable laser particle scanner (Dylos). The scanner is able to measure the number of particles of 0.5micron and 2.5 microns. This handy machine allows me to quantify the level of particulate pollution first hand. Air quality rating above 3000 is considered to be very poor, rating below 1000 is good. I was eager to find out if the machine agree with my impression. To be honest, I got a shock the first day. soon after I touch down- the rating on the particle scanner is 10,900 near the west part of Hong Kong island. The normal rating in Singapore is around 1000 to 5000. Over the 10 days I collected data from different part of Hong Kong. The worst rating were obtained along Nathan road (37,000) and Tai-Kok-Tsui (36,000).
The best rating was from Lok-Ma-Zhou (2500), the less busy border between China and Hong Kong. The rating at the Lo Wu station was 10,000. It is necessary to mention that these rating were taking at different days and time, so they should not be taken as an absolute indication for these area.
A day trip (2009-12-22) from Hong Kong to GuangZhou produced an impression of the relative pollution level between the two cities:
Pollution data from Hong Kong to Guang Zhou within a day
@ 7:45 Shek Tong Tsui (Hong Kong Island) 20500
@ 8:50 Sheung Shui (Near border) 26000
@ 10:50 Guang Zhou 30000
It is clear that the pollution level get worst as we approach GuangZhou from Hong Kong.
Anther day trip (2009-12-30) from Hong Kong to Guang Zhou via Shenzhen gave another perspective:
@ 8:35 Shek Tong Tsui (Hong Kong Island) 10000
@ 10:00 Lok-Ma-Zhou (2nd border) 2500
@ 11:15 ShenZhen 8100
@ 18:40 Guang Zhou 17000
@ 20:35 Lu Wu station (1st border) 10000
The air seems to be equally bad from the Hong Kong island all the way up to the Hong Kong/Shenzhen boarder (8100~10000). But interestingly there is an obvious “clean air zone” around the Lok-Ma-Zhou area (2500), which is next to the largest wet land under preservation in Hong Kong.
Lok Ma Chau- best air quality in Hong Kong due to large area of wetland
Judging from these data, the pollution level in Hong Kong is indeed worrying. The rating of 10000 to 20000 is 3~6 times the “very poor” indication.
Given that it is a densely populated urban area and it’s proximity to the “factory of the world”, I wonder what can be done to improve the air quality in Hong Kong?
Tagged as:
Dylos,
Hong Kong,
laser particle scanner,
PM10,
PM2.5,
pollution
by info on December 16, 2009
http://sepedaku.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24274
Indonesia cyclist testing the street pollution by checking the Totobobo filter after riding in the traffic
Translation by Google:
———————————–
In connection with the many discussions about air quality in Jakarta, moved their hearts to know how the hell the air quality in Jakarta this.
One day I bought a mask totobobo, and idly opened its website. In the website there totobobo blog written by two French people who travel around the world by bike, in every country where they singgahi mereke meberi lecture on air quality.
In the blog they will, they also compared the experience of cycling in the cities they pass by comparing how dirty totobobo filter masks they wore. Filter masks are compared after they were cycling for at least 6 hours in the cities they will be. In each city, they use a new mask filter, and so on. This reference links to his http://totobobo.com/blog/cyclist/ In this blog can be compared to a mask filter impurities used in India, Bangkok and China.
Inspired by the blog above, I conducted personally kecil2an test.
His tests conducted by:
-cycling and wear a mask for a month totobobo
-In the month is used as much as 4 times (3 times a day week, Saturday 1 times)
Cycling-Line: Tarogong – Jl Metro Pondok Indah – Jl. Margaguna – Jl Radio Dalam – Jalan Metro – Road sudirman – Jalan Thamrin – Monas – Thamrin Turn back again – so as to Tarogong again.
-Range biking: At 7 am left Jam – Best Jam Tarogong late until 9:30 in the morning. Every time Gowes time approximately 1 hour to 1.5 hours.
Well this is the result. Figure below shows the level of dirtiness of his two filter masks
dirty filters from Indonesia
Figure below shows a comparison between the new filter and that was used
clean vs dirty filter
The next image shows the inner defilements tinggkat filter (the filter is located inside the mask)
the inside of the filter
That is a personal test that I do. I’m not going to make any conclusions from the results they will be because I am not an expert on air quality. I leave assessment to friends as well
Disclaimer:
-Test is done by not using standard scientific methods you know about the air testing, therefore the results can not be used as a standard for judging that the test subject.
-This test is a personal test, not a formal test.
Cheers
Tagged as:
6 hour filter test,
filters,
Indonesia,
Jalan Sudirman,
pollution
a teenage girl wearing Totobobo mask
The current H1N1 flu triggered a sudden increase in sales of face masks and Totobobo, the first customizable face mask, is now hitting 25 countries across the world. This is a new milestone for the company, Dream Lab One, the producer of the Totobobo mask.
Travelers, cyclists, wood-turners and artists alike have found this reusable mask highly effective in blocking out polluted air and various irritants. Sales of this reusable mask has increased significantly and it has received rave reviews from users around the world.
“This mask may have saved my life. First, the mask is made out of a rubbery material, so it sticks naturally to your skin. After I found the perfect position on my face for my mask, I no longer have any problems with breathing…at all…period. My nose has cleared up, my eyes are no longer irritated, I don’t cough or sneeze at all anymore. It’s comfortable and it doesn’t fog my glasses! I hardly know I’m wearing it!” said Paula Ford, a satisfied Totobobo user and a pastel artist residing in Tennessee, United States.
Individuals who rely a lot on respiratory masks tend to live in environments that contain either polluted air or airborne disease pathogens. An effective mask helps to filter out polluted air and airborne virus. There are two conditions that determine whether a respiratory mask is effective. First, it needs to seal the wearer’s nose and mouth snugly. Second, the filter material must be able to filter out the smallest of particles.
“Money can buy high quality filters, but a good seal has been a hit-or-miss affair,” said Francis Chu, the designer of the revolutionary mask. His design provides a simple and intuitive solution call VSC (Visual-Seal-Check) for the user to check the face-seal.
Easy Visual-Seal-Check (VSC):
To ensure good respiratory seal, normal N95 mask users can only rely on their ability to feel the air-leak around their face. Such method is not reliable and sometimes it gives a fault sense of security. Francis believes his transparent mask allows users to check the seal intuitively and to ensure minimal seepage of polluted air.
To verify this, he sent the mask to a hospital and compared the Visual-Seal-Check (VSC) with the gold standard respirator fit-test, a high-end quantitative system called PortaCount from TSI Incorporated. The result showed strong correlation (90%) between the prediction of the Visual-Seal-Check (VSC) method and the result of the gold standard fit-test proving his intuitive method effective.
“The Visual-Seal-Check, or VSC, is much more reliable than the seal check found in other N95 masks. This study shows that face-seal can be determined simply by checking the seal through the transparent mask,” says Francis.
5 years old boy wearing Totobobo mask
Over half of the recent orders are coming from parents traveling with children. They appreciate the possibility to customize the mask to fit their young children. With the VSC they are more reassured that their children are getting the optimal protection.
To buy Totobobo mask (International)
To buy Totobobo mask in Singapore
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Tagged as:
0.3 micron,
2- fit-test,
Asthma,
face seal,
filter mask,
n95 mask,
PM2.5,
pollution,
respirator,
user seal check
