C-95 Masks---And Nuclear Fallout

[Schattentarn]

Biden keeps threatening to send every American a supply of C-95 masks. Yes, I am falling asleep too but then there is the idea of nuclear fallout. We have Russian gas masks but would a C-95 protect against nuclear fallout if you were just, say, walking around in your house? Does anyone know?

 

[kenv1950]

Hope he sends some to me , I use them for woodworking

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I believe you mean K95 or Kn95.
The answer is no.
I was VFD near a nuclear plant and within the 10 mile radius. They told us our Fire gear would protect us. We then made plans to meet our families 50 miles upwind.

 

[GaRp58]

A "typical" nuclear fallout of dust would be slightly contained with any "typical" dust mask.
The need of a fully sealing gas mask with a clean shave, no facial hair at all, the ability to change the filters in a "clean" environment, the amount of needed filters, living in a fully sealed house, bunker, vehicle or other living quarters, the direction of the wind, strength of the wind, duration of wind "removing" the fallout to another location, your own movement and in which direction, amount of people needed to be protected, length of time to be protected, de-contamination possibilities and facilities and needed chemicals, disposal of such contaminated clothing, filters and chemicals, type of fallout as in rainy/wet (sticks everywhere and not wind carried), dry/dust (blows away in time if you have wind), air burst/air-ground burst/ground burst/air-water burst or water burst of a nuclear weapon, and the size of the weapon determines the amount/type/yield of fallout...........
There are too many other factors in a fallout situation than just the mask. The effects of the ""relatively small" (no pun intended) fallout of what is still being felt in Europe after Chernobyl reactor failure are still so, that deformed children, men with breasts and even the wild pigs not being edible or only in limited amounts since they dig for their food and do not eat topsoil food like deer, cows or sheep are common. Do some reading on the subject from the FOIA available documents and military lectures or technical manuals to learn more.
The needed monies, facilities and training is too high for us normal folks, even the military with its great potential had and has still its limits...
EMP is a greater problem than fallout even if fallout lasts longer, the results in the grid from EMP lasts a long time too and covers a greater space at a faster rate...live free, Gary

 

[Disturbed1970]

A "typical" nuclear fallout of dust would be slightly contained with any "typical" dust mask.
The need of a fully sealing gas mask with a clean shave, no facial hair at all, the ability to change the filters in a "clean" environment, the amount of needed filters, living in a fully sealed house, bunker, vehicle or other living quarters, the direction of the wind, strength of the wind, duration of wind "removing" the fallout to another location, your own movement and in which direction, amount of people needed to be protected, length of time to be protected, de-contamination possibilities and facilities and needed chemicals, disposal of such contaminated clothing, filters and chemicals, type of fallout as in rainy/wet (sticks everywhere and not wind carried), dry/dust (blows away in time if you have wind), air burst/air-ground burst/ground burst/air-water burst or water burst of a nuclear weapon, and the size of the weapon determines the amount/type/yield of fallout...........
There are too many other factors in a fallout situation than just the mask. The effects of the ""relatively small" (no pun intended) fallout of what is still being felt in Europe after Chernobyl reactor failure are still so, that deformed children, men with breasts and even the wild pigs not being edible or only in limited amounts since they dig for their food and do not eat topsoil food like deer, cows or sheep are common. Do some reading on the subject from the FOIA available documents and military lectures or technical manuals to learn more.
The needed monies, facilities and training is too high for us normal folks, even the military with its great potential had and has still its limits...
EMP is a greater problem than fallout even if fallout lasts longer, the results in the grid from EMP lasts a long time too and covers a greater space at a faster rate...live free, Gary

I guess if no "hair at all" is a requirement for your mask, people like me will be dead within 12 hrs, if they use that mask. Within 12 hrs of shaving, I have some pretty major scruff.

Or, buy a quality mask. My PD issues Millenium masks (I'm not a fan of them at all, but they are a decently-performing mask). We get fit-tested twice a year - put on mask, plug the mask into a machine that tests pressure, conduct a series of timed movents, read aloud for a while, and see if pressure changes at all over the course of that testing. As long as the mask is the right size for you, and you don it correctly, even guys with short beards (< 1/2") pass, no problem. My personal Avon fm53 also passes.

Now, is it "better" to have clean skin? Absolutely, but not having it isn't a death sentence. The old fix was to slather vaseline on your face, to help with the seal, but that can have the negative effect of creating a toxic paste as particulate settles.

 

[GaRp58]

Now, is it "better" to have clean skin?

Getting a perfect seal in the real problem. No hair makes it easier, the german army is allowed to grow beards and have mustasches...but...in time of war or if they are deployed (like Iraq) then they must shave. I have seen some who were not shaved but do not know why.
The idea of vaseline is new to me, it would make for a better seal but as you stated, it would also make for a sticky, poisonous mess if it came into contact with the crap and would not be healthy for your face...
Another problem, as I stated in another thread a few months back, the newest nerve gases have additives in them which will "eat" your filters within a half an hour, leaving you with absolutely no protection.
The many other problems were already stated above and leave us with little to no alternatives...Gary

 

[Disturbed1970]

Getting a perfect seal in the real problem. No hair makes it easier, the german army is allowed to grow beards and have mustasches...but...in time of war or if they are deployed (like Iraq) then they must shave. I have seen some who were not shaved but do not know why.
The idea of vaseline is new to me, it would make for a better seal but as you stated, it would also make for a sticky, poisonous mess if it came into contact with the crap and would not be healthy for your face...
Another problem, as I stated in another thread a few months back, the newest nerve gases have additives in them which will "eat" your filters within a half an hour, leaving you with absolutely no protection.
The many other problems were already stated above and leave us with little to no alternatives...Gary

Yep. Realistically, if it goes full NBC/CBRN, none of us little people are likely to survive, if we are anywhere in the zone.

The sheer number of mask filters, MOPP suits, and decon supplies it would take to survive for any length outside of a fully sealed shelter would be staggering. Maintaining the filtration systems on said shelters is beyond most of us, and unless your water supply is coming from someplace that has no way for contaminants to enter, it's just a matter of time.

Our group has two scenarios we don't even worry about, because we know it is fruitless - a full-on NBC/CBRN conflict, and a mass extinction event like an asteroid/meteor strike, because at best, that is based on luck (do we end up in a small corner of the world that survives a random strike?)

 

[GaRp58]

Our group has two scenarios we don't even worry about, because we know it is fruitless

Very logical even if it is not a pretty thought. We all have our limits and abilities. Prep for the worst but do not forget to live every day like it is the last. Love and dance like nobody is watching, plant your garden even if you do not ever eat from it, somebody or some animal will and nature will carry on without us human viruses on the back of a beautiful planet, the earth will just shake us off like a bunch of fleas and carry on for a few more million years. We only have a few minutes of life here, enjoy them with family and friends and let God take care of eternity...live free, Gary

 

[Schattentarn]

Why can't people just make it a point to shave during periods of likely war?

 

[kenv1950]

Why can't people just make it a point to shave during periods of likely war? Because I haven't shaved since 1970 and I'm not gonna start now , I just can't see myself scraping my face every morning with a sharp implement

 

[DrHenley]

I'm allergic to shaving.

 

[Disturbed1970]

I shave because "facial hair will kill me in a world where I have to wear a respirator." 12 hours later, I have facial hair. How do I get rid of it with a mask on?

 

[EastenerWesterner]

In the VFD world, back in the 80’s, if you were trained, you could wear SCBA beard or not. Either way you always tasted a little smoke.
By the 90’s, if you had a beard, you couldn’t be certified SCBA. I was fine with that, I just learned how to run the cascade system to fill the tanks. You could train though.
One of our Chiefs went through smoke diver training. We had a drill which was a copy of their final test. Smoke in an enclosed building, seeing how long that 20 minute tank would last. Mine lasted 40 with a beard.
They were all encouraging me to do smoke diver. Nope, not going to shave. Even when I did, Nope. I guess not enough people stand up against BS regulations.

 

[erqueen75]

Really doing some research on chemical or biological warfare. Wish I kept a few Atropine 2-PAM chloride kits...

 

[radiogoon]

Beards or any facial hair near the chin on the ambulance crew was forbidden. We were fitted once a year for our TB masks. If you had a beard, the mask couldn't properly seal. I was happy to forgo a beard to avoid Tuberculosis. That fact told me the mask mandates were nothing more than control.

 

[GaRp58]

Wish I kept a few Atropine 2-PAM chloride kits...

I still have a few Atropine auto-pens. Even if I never get gassed, they are good against getting sprayed or in the wind of a wasp/bee/ant spray which is also a nerve agent...look at the small print on the wasp killer spray and you will usually read that the antidote for the spray is "atropine"...

PS: keep a couple of cans of wasp spray around for "self-defense".
better than pepperspray AND PERMANENT!!!!

 

[Dave2001]

I guess if no "hair at all" is a requirement for your mask, people like me will be dead within 12 hrs, if they use that mask. Within 12 hrs of shaving, I have some pretty major scruff.

Or, buy a quality mask. My PD issues Millenium masks (I'm not a fan of them at all, but they are a decently-performing mask). We get fit-tested twice a year - put on mask, plug the mask into a machine that tests pressure, conduct a series of timed movents, read aloud for a while, and see if pressure changes at all over the course of that testing. As long as the mask is the right size for you, and you don it correctly, even guys with short beards (< 1/2") pass, no problem. My personal Avon fm53 also passes.

Now, is it "better" to have clean skin? Absolutely, but not having it isn't a death sentence. The old fix was to slather vaseline on your face, to help with the seal, but that can have the negative effect of creating a toxic paste as particulate settles.

Problem with facial hair is you cant get a good seal on your masks to prevent contaminants

 

[Dave2001]

Really doing some research on chemical or biological warfare. Wish I kept a few Atropine 2-PAM chloride kits...

we do on our hazmat truck

 

[Dave2001]

I believe you mean K95 or Kn95.
The answer is no.
I was VFD near a nuclear plant and within the 10 mile radius. They told us our Fire gear would protect us. We then made plans to meet our families 50 miles upwind.

THEY lied to you, reg fire bonker gear will NOT protect you from gamma radiation, Your ONLY protection from gamma is TDS ( Time, Distance and Shielding)

 

[Disturbed1970]

Problem with facial hair is you cant get a good seal on your masks to prevent contaminants

You absolutely can, providing you have a quality mask, of the correct size, that you wear correctly. Fit testing of a 1700-officer department, twice a year, about 50% of whom have facial hair, show that.

It may not be optimal, but facial hair doesn't automatically preclude a good fit.