What are fog, haze and particulate matter?

Particulate matter refers to solid, liquid or granular substances of solid and liquid suspended in the air, such as dust, smoke, fog and microorganisms.

Fog refers to tiny water droplets suspended in the air. When the relative humidity reaches 100%, the water vapor in the air will condense into fine water droplets suspended in the air, which will reduce the visibility on the ground. This weather phenomenon is called fog.

Haze, also known as haze and ash haze, refers to the turbidity phenomenon caused by the suspension of a large number of particles such as smoke and dust for unknown reasons. The core substance of smog is dust particles suspended in the air, which are called aerosol particles in meteorology. In recent years, with the increasingly frequent "smog" weather phenomenon, air quality has gradually deteriorated. Haze contains hundreds of atmospheric chemical particles, which intrude into human respiratory tract and lung lobes unsuspecting, thus causing respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, blood system, reproductive system and other diseases, such as pharyngitis, emphysema, asthma, rhinitis, bronchitis and other inflammation. Long-term exposure to this environment will also induce lung cancer, myocardial ischemia and injury. Smog also often causes traffic accidents.

Therefore, in areas with high dust and frequent smog, in these environments, respiratory protective equipment must be worn, and masks are the first choice. However, not all masks can be protected. Because many particles are fine and in a high concentration environment, conventional masks such as ordinary gauze masks will not play much role. Be sure to look for masks of grades KN90, KN95 and KN 100 that meet the national standard of GB2626-2006 Respiratory Protective Articles, so as to ensure effective filtration and protect your health.