Sweat rate inside a full-facepiece respirator.

The accumulation of sweat inside a full-facepiece respirator mask and the rise in facial skin temperature can be important factors for acceptability of respirators worn in the heat. This study questioned how much sweat would have to be removed from a respirator (if a design to remove accumulated sweat were possible). Results from 20 subjects sitting in a warm, humid environment (35 degrees C and 90% relative humidity) for 90 minutes indicated that the average value was about 0.203 g sweat/min from the face, head, and neck, with most of that coming from the neck region. Men were found to have higher sweating rates than women. The results indicate that a large amount of sweat could accumulate inside the mask over a typical 8-hour day. Average facial skin temperature was found to rise about 2 degrees C over the 90-minutes test, and this rise could likely be the cause of the very uncomfortable rating given to the respirator.