Story at a glance
- The Atmos Faceware is a new high-tech, high-fashion personal air filter that may improve air quality for the wearer as wildfires increasingly fill the air with smoke.
- A study commissioned by the company, Ao Air, found the Atmos Faceware was more effective than standard air filter masks.
- The face mask does not require an airtight seal on the wearer’s face, instead using fans and a transparent visor to create a pocket of clean air in front of the nose and mouth.
The Atmos Faceware personal air filter by company Ao Air is a sleek new product aimed at combating the poor air quality that has become increasingly common under climate change. Longer and more intense fire seasons in places like California and, more recently, Australia have filled the air with smoke, spiking concerns about air quality, the Verge reports.
Inhaling smoke-filled air can exacerbate asthma or other breathing conditions and increase the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease. Atmos Faceware hopes to be the fashion-forward choice of those with the inclination and the financial means to improve their personal air quality — the units are not cheap at $350 each.
A study commissioned by the company found their mask provided superior protection from air pollution compared to standard air filter masks that have been certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). But, the most common NIOSH-certified mask also retails for just $15.
The Atmos Faceware is unique among respirators and face mask filters in that it does not require an airtight seal, instead using fans and a transparent visor to create a pocket of clean air in front of the nose and mouth. “Our transparent design rests on the bridge of your nose, allowing others to see your face including your smile,” wrote Ao Air in a press release.
Air filtering face masks have been popular in China and India for years, and it was just a matter of time before companies found a way into the American market. This expansion into new markets has been facilitated by climate change, which has upped the number of days with high levels of air pollution from wildfires.
Given the product’s luxury price-tag, the Atmos Facemask is unlikely to improve air quality for more than a select few. Poor neighborhoods already tend to bear the brunt of pollution and other environmental issues, so it’s possible products like the Atmos Facemask will only exacerbate existing inequities. The transformation of products aimed at mitigating climate change’s health impacts into pricey status symbols darkly calls to mind author Naomi Klein’s term “disaster capitalism.”
The face masks are expected to start shipping in July.
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