The latest issue of the Consumer Council's "Choice" magazine tested 30 color or pattern masks and found that 6 masks contained bacteria that exceeded EU standards.
The Director-General of the Consumer Council, Huang Fengxian, pointed out in a radio program this morning (16th) that the 6 types of masks are not recommended for the elderly, pregnant women, chronically ill patients, and those with poor skin, but the overall 30 types of masks can provide basic protection. It is also safe and citizens can use it with confidence.
She mentioned that there are differences in the results of several samples of some types of masks in the same test, or there is room for improvement because the manufacturer has not done quality control.
He Bailiang, director of the Center for Infection and Infectious Diseases of the University of Hong Kong, mentioned in another radio program that the main consideration when wearing a mask is whether the mask is close to the face and whether the nose is exposed when wearing it.
He pointed out that it is easy to sweat in summer. After the mask is wet with sweat, the filtration efficiency has dropped significantly. It is recommended that citizens check whether they need a vaccine booster, and only wear one mask when going out. Add a cloth mask to the surgical mask to increase the veneer of the mask.
▼Consumer Council test claims to meet ASTM Level 3 flat face masks (score from high to low)▼
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The Director-General of the Consumer Council, Wong Fung-han, said on the RTHK program that 30 different types of disposable color or pattern masks on the market were tested this time, including 28 masks made in Hong Kong and 2 masks made in China. The average bacterial filtration efficiency of all samples (BFE) and Average Particle Filtration Efficiency (PFE) are both above 95%, which is ASTM Level 1 level; and no carcinogen azo dyes have been detected in all mask samples, the public can use it with confidence.
The bacteria content of 6 masks exceeds the EU standard and should not be worn by the elderly, pregnant women, and poor skin
However, Huang Fengxian pointed out that the 6 masks with bacteria content exceeding the EU standard may cause skin discomfort and potential health risks to people with weak immunity. It is not recommended for the elderly, pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases, and people with poor skin to wear.
Another 2 masks failed the synthetic blood penetration test at the lowest pressure, that is, when blood splashed on the mask, it failed to prevent blood from seeping into the bottom layer of the mask. It is recommended that medical staff, people working in slaughterhouses, or other People with poultry should pay attention when choosing masks.
The 6 masks with bacteria content exceeding the EU standard include Stand Out, Local Good Mask, Salvation, H-PLUS, CASETiFY and Medox; as for the blood penetration test, Masklab and Sunlight masks both failed the minimum stress test.
The Director-General of the Consumer Council, Wong Fung-han, said that in the first seven months of this year, a total of 1,946 complaints about electrical appliances were received.
(File photo/Photo by Liao Yanxiong)
Huang Fengxian: Manufacturers need to work harder on quality control
Huang Fengxian also mentioned that there will be five samples of a mask in the same test, and the results of different samples of some masks are different. The reason is not only the manufacturer's explanation that high temperature and humidity affect the effect of static electricity loss of the mask fabric, but also because Because the manufacturer failed to ensure the consistent quality of masks in quality control, or there was contamination during transportation and storage, he believed that the manufacturer "has room to improve" and "must make more efforts."
▼Consumer Council test claims to meet ASTM Level 2 flat face masks (score from high to low)▼
▼Consumer Council test claims to meet ASTM Level 3 three-dimensional masks (score from high to low)▼
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Electrical complaints have risen significantly, and vacuum cleaners have risen significantly
Huang Fengxian also mentioned that the Consumer Council received nearly 2,000 complaints about electrical appliances in the first seven months of this year, accounting for 11% of all complaints, with a significant increase. Among them, TV and air conditioners were the most complaints, followed by washing machines; Last year, it nearly doubled from the previous year, and there were 162 cases from this year to July.
In addition, the current complaints related to online shopping of electrical appliances also increased from 25% in 2020 to the current 37%, mainly related to delivery delays, slow refunds and maintenance issues.
The Consumer Council said that it has received many complaints about after-sales service of electrical appliances.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
He Boliang: KF94 filter effect is not high-efficiency mask
He Bailiang, director of the Center for Infection and Infectious Diseases of the University of Hong Kong, mentioned in another radio program that the main consideration when wearing a mask is whether the mask is close to the face and whether the nose is exposed when wearing it.
He suggested that citizens should choose surgical masks or respirators according to risk.
He pointed out that there is little difference between surgical masks and ASTM Levels, but Level 3 masks have more three-dimensional designs and will be more veneer; in high-risk scenarios, respirators, such as N95 and KN95, will be used.
He specifically mentioned the KF94 mask in South Korea, pointing out that its filtering effect is not a high-efficiency mask, but the advantage lies in the veneer.
The filtration efficiency of the mask will be greatly reduced when wet, and double masks should be considered in high-risk indoors
He Bailiang continued to point out that if the mask gets soaked after sweating in summer, the filtering efficiency has dropped significantly and may drop to less than 60-70%. However, it is unbearable to wear two masks outdoors. It is recommended that the public only need to check in the summer. Whether you need a vaccine booster, you can only wear one mask when you go out. If you need to go to some high-risk indoor places, consider adding a cloth mask to the surgical mask to increase the degree of veneer of the mask.
Ho Pak Leung, director of the Centre for Infection and Infectious Diseases at the University of Hong Kong.
(File photo / Photo by Lu Yiming)
Consumer Council Masks｜5 models of 30 colored and patterned masks were tested with full marks and two were the most cost-effective Consumer Council masks｜The color masks are not inferior to the traditional ones. If they cannot fit closely to the face, they should be tied with elastic bands. 2,000 complaints related to electrical appliances, the vacuum cleaners were charged maintenance fees before the maintenance period Consumer Council Masks｜6 models of 30 color masks contain more than 6 times of bacteria CASETiFY