Military "Protective Masks" are designed to protect troops in a combat environment against Military Munitions. There are several types of filters that are color coded. Most masks are issued with filters that protect against CS orCN tear gas and would be useless against nerve or blood agents. When exposure to nerve or other agents is expected, special filters must be inserted into the masks, as was done in Desert Storm.
Military masks will not protect you from industrial gases, and some gases will actually eat away the filter material.
Industrial masks must be equipped with the proper filter for the gas you are trying to obtain protection from. In my business (Commercial Pest control) I have to stock three different types of cannisters depending upon what I am using. So unless you know what you are up against, just having a mask will provide little protection from terrorists.
Most hazmat units use SCBA, which has a positive pressure to keep out contaminants. the problem with SCBA is related to the limited amount of air you can carry, usually no more than an hour.
The military has detection equipment and full protective suits to protect its troops but will move out of a contaminated area and decontaminate as soon as possible. We were told that the Soviets had a gas that would eat away our filters within an hour, it was a blood agent I believe.
An old surplus mask is probably less than useless and may even leak causing more concentrated agents to be inhaled as they are trapped in the mask.
I have been told that persons with a perforated eardrum can actually inhale gases through the ear even if wearing a mask!Since I often operate in an environment with deadly fumigants I had my ears checked!
By the way, when I was a grunt if you referred to the mask as a "Gas Mask"you ended up doing pushups, it is properly called a Protective Mask.
Military masks will not protect you from industrial gases, and some gases will actually eat away the filter material.
Industrial masks must be equipped with the proper filter for the gas you are trying to obtain protection from. In my business (Commercial Pest control) I have to stock three different types of cannisters depending upon what I am using. So unless you know what you are up against, just having a mask will provide little protection from terrorists.
Most hazmat units use SCBA, which has a positive pressure to keep out contaminants. the problem with SCBA is related to the limited amount of air you can carry, usually no more than an hour.
The military has detection equipment and full protective suits to protect its troops but will move out of a contaminated area and decontaminate as soon as possible. We were told that the Soviets had a gas that would eat away our filters within an hour, it was a blood agent I believe.
An old surplus mask is probably less than useless and may even leak causing more concentrated agents to be inhaled as they are trapped in the mask.
I have been told that persons with a perforated eardrum can actually inhale gases through the ear even if wearing a mask!Since I often operate in an environment with deadly fumigants I had my ears checked!
By the way, when I was a grunt if you referred to the mask as a "Gas Mask"you ended up doing pushups, it is properly called a Protective Mask.