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PPE CASE – Inhalation and Exhalation Resistance and Filtration Performance of Stockpiled Air-Purifying Respirators: Overall Performance of Nearly 4,000 Respirators Sampled from Ten Stockpile Facilities
March 2020
NPPTL Report Number P2020-0111
NIOSH found that 98% of the air-purifying respirators tested from ten stockpile facilities and manufactured between 2003-2013 maintained their inhalation and exhalation resistance and filtration performance in accordance with NIOSH performance standards.
This report details the results for inhalation and exhalation resistance and filtration performance from 3,971 APRs collected from ten U.S. stockpile facilities, including one federal stockpile, six state stockpiles, two regional stockpiles, and one county stockpile. Facility-specific reports can be found on NIOSH’s PPE CASE Report website.
In 2017, NIOSH established a PPE Stockpile Partnership consisting of 1) federal entities and stockpiles; 2) state, county, and city stockpiles; 3) hospital-related stockpile entities; and 4) a manufacturer trade association to inform the design and execution of an empirical study to evaluate stockpiled APRs. NIOSH sampled and tested nearly 4,000 respirators from ten geographically dispersed stockpiles with varying storage conditions.
Suggested Citation
NIOSH [2020]. PPE CASE: Inhalation and Exhalation Resistance and Filtration Performance of Stockpiled Air-Purifying Respirators: Overall Performance of Nearly 4,000 Respirators Sampled from Ten Stockpile Facilities. By Greenawald, L., Moore, S., and Yorio, P.L. Pittsburgh, PA U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NPPTL Report Number P2020-0111.