China speeds up national standard for anti-pollution masks

A draft of a national standard for anti-pollution masks is expected to meet the public by the end of this year, the People's Daily learned from the China's Standardization Administration.

Face masks have become the norm for many urban residents, yet there is no quality standard for masks for civil use in China.

The national standard will define materials, designs and protective properties, as well as efficiency at filtering small particulates that pose great health risk, like PM2.5, the report said.

Factors such as how well masks fit and the degree to which they obstruct breathing will also be specified in the standard.

The standard will classify masks into three types (heavy, medium and light pollution) according to their filtering efficiency. A standard of masks for children and the sick will also be listed.

Experts have been calling for the official standard for some time. The Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission in February said many masks that claim to filter tiny PM2.5 pollutants have little effect in blocking the particles.The commission tested 17 masks bought randomly and found that for more than half, the protective properties claimed were exaggerated.

Ma Dejun, secretary-general of the National Home Appliances Standardization Committee, said a modification to the standard for air purifiers had begun last year, and that a new version might be issued next year.