Air-Purifying Respirators

Air-purifying respirators (APRs) work by filtering air through a filtering medium. There are different types of filtering mediums for different purposes. Particulate, or particle-removing, respirators are designed to filter out dusts, fibers, mists, and fumes by trapping them in a filter. These are not able to filter gases and vapors. Since lead exists in dust or fume form, a particulate respirator is the most likely type of air purifying respirator a worker would use.

Respirators designed to filter gases and vapors are fitted with canisters or cartridges that filter and trap specific contaminants. Such respirators do not protect against dust or other particulate matter. However, combination cartridges are available that filter both dusts and gases. If your jobsite also includes other hazardous fumes, such as carbon monoxide, this may be the type of respirator you use.

Air-purifying respirators are available with quarter mask, half mask, and full face mask attachments, as follows:

• Quarter masks provide protection against up to 250 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air, making them sufficient for use in environments with low concentrations of lead above the permissible exposure limit.
• Half-mask APRs can protect against 500 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air. This is enough to protect workers doing level 1 trigger tasks, such as manual sanding or demolition, before the initial exposure assessment has been made.
• Air-purifying respirators with full facepiece masks protect against 2,500 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air.

To learn more about Construction Lead Exposure visit our Cal/OSHA Construction Lead Exposure Online Training web page.