3m Respirator Selection Guide: Fill & Download for Free

At first glance the filter cartridge is not the one I would select for protecting against the Corona virus. It is primarily used for oils and organic vapors.I would probably select an N series cartridge which will handle mist. The corona virus is transmitted through water droplets. I am not sure that the filter media in the P series filters will absorb water droplets.3M does not manufacture or market their medical designs in the US. This is due to product liability laws. The cartridge which 3M produce that are equivalent actually identical to the Chinese products are now allowable for medical applications thanks to a law signed by President Trump.They may publish new selection charts which will answer your question You may follow this link to the current 3M selection guide. https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/639110O/3m-respirator-selection-guide.pdfNow to the tear gas question. the first question you need to answer is what type of tear gas. Are you talking pepper spray or are you talking a commercial equivalent of CS.CS is a particulate and dispersed either burning or aerosolizing. Any HEPA filter will protect you from CS. What you need to remember is that CS attacks the eyes so you will require a full face respirator to protect yourself.

I reviewed the specifications and 3M selection guide. It appears that a P series respirator would not be effective against the Covid 19. The P respirators filter media is designed not to collect water.The virus is transmitted in water droplets. Water will pass through the P series media. You need to utilize a vapor respirator.I suspect that a mist and paint respirator of a HEPA filter would be effective for limited time frames. You will need to check the specifications and make sure that the filter is designed for water based paints. -You should make sure that it is not a nuisance respirator but one actually designed for hazardous containments.A homemade filter consisting of a form which keeps the filter media from contacting the nose and mouth covered by a sanitary napkin would be effective.In 1918 they used a wire frame covered with multiple layers of gauze to protect medical workers in one of the Military Hospitals. The hospital had one of the lowest if not lowest infection rates among hospital personnel recorded. Note the guaze was changed every two to three hours.Following is a link to the current 3M selection chart. With the authority to substitute certain 3M Industrial products for the Medical respirators, this guide may be updated.https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/639110O/3m-respirator-selection-guide.pdf

N95 is a specification for a particular “fineness” of the filter. This number is used by 3M. I think Honeywell uses another system of designation.I don’t know what the MU2 mask is. I know only that the N95 filters use a special man-made filter material that holds a static charge that grabs virus particles.There are official designations of filters that are actually what they claim to be. See the:NIOSH Guide to the Selection and Use of Particulate Respirators