If you want to protect yourself against viruses and bacteria as effectively as possible, you will probably use respirators or masks labeled "nano". These declare higher protection or have tests specifically for virus protection. However, did you know that fake nanomasks are also sold in Europe? Find out how to avoid being fooled, not waste your money, and buy a genuine mask or respirator with a nanomembrane below.
Nanofibers Only from Europe!
You may have recently heard about the case of fake nanomasks. Scientists from the Technical University of Liberec tested six nanomasks available in the Czech Republic - three imports and three made in the Czech Republic. All products were labeled "nano" and their descriptions claimed to contain nanotextiles.
Tests quickly revealed that the imported masks were unjustly labeled as nano. None of these foreign masks imported from Asia contained any nanofiber textiles. The products only contained so-called microfiber textiles with openings up to 30,000 nanometers - whereas the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has a size of only 80 to 150 nanometers! These fake nanomasks provide roughly the same protection as an old cotton shirt but at a much higher cost.
Tip: What is nanofiber? Read the article here.
In contrast, all Czech products labeled 'nano' contained a nanofiber membrane. A genuine nanomembrane, due to the density of its fibers, has tiny openings that can capture particles much smaller than 100 nanometers - easily filtering viruses, including coronaviruses, and bacteria. Nevertheless, it remains highly breathable.
How to Proceed If You Want to Get a Genuine Nanomask and Avoid Counterfeits?
1. Buy Only from Verified Manufacturers
There are many substandard products on the market, not only on e-shops but also in physical pharmacies. On our e-shop nanoSPACE, you will find only goods from verified Czech manufacturers associated with the Association of Nanotechnology Industry.
2. Prefer Czech Products
The Czech Republic is a nanotechnology powerhouse, so it makes sense to purchase Czech products and support local businesses. Czech nanomasks are also tested according to European standards and have easily verifiable certificates. In contrast, products from abroad (especially Asia) often have certificates that are challenging to verify for Czech authorities, let alone consumers.
#produkty#https://www.nanospace.store/designer-washable-nano-masks/?order=bestseller
Tip: Want your mask to last longer than one day? Try washable designer nanomasks or antiviral nanoscarves from nanoSPACE.
3. How to Identify a Fake Nanomask?
For a layperson, recognizing a fake mask or respirator is practically impossible, which scammers obviously exploit. Masks with a nanomembrane look similar to ordinary surgical masks at first glance; the difference is only evident under an electron microscope. So, here too, you will have 100% certainty only if you buy from verified manufacturers.
4. Don't Try to Save at All Costs
Prices of genuine nanomasks and fake nanomasks can differ. Masks with a nanofiber membrane require a different manufacturing technology, which naturally increases costs and the final product price. Therefore, do not try to save at all costs and buy the cheapest nanomask - it is quite possible that you will only get an ordinary but overpriced face covering.
Offer of Nanomasks in Larger Packs
#produkty#https://www.nanospace.store/nano-face-masks/
Sources:
- Essa, W.K., Yasin, S.A., Saeed, I.A. and Ali, G.A., 2021. Nanofiber-based face masks and respirators as COVID-19 protection: A review. Membranes, 11(4), p.250.
- Naragund, V.S. and Panda, P.K., 2022. Electrospun nanofiber-based respiratory face masks—A review. Emergent materials, 5(2), pp.261-278.
- Ullah, S., Ullah, A., Lee, J., Jeong, Y., Hashmi, M., Zhu, C., Joo, K.I., Cha, H.J. and Kim, I.S., 2020. Reusability comparison of melt-blown vs nanofiber face mask filters for use in the coronavirus pandemic. ACS Applied nano materials, 3(7), pp.7231-7241.
- Tebyetekerwa, M., Xu, Z., Yang, S. and Ramakrishna, S., 2020. Electrospun nanofibers-based face masks. Advanced Fiber Materials, 2(3), pp.161-166.
- Elngar, A.A. and El-Dek, S.I., 2021. A novel artificial face mask based nanofibers with special intelligent engineered nanocomposite against covid-
