Pollution is the cause of more than 7 million deaths worldwide every year, according to a WHO study. (1) and is the third leading cause of death in France. Based on this observation, entrepreneurs are launching into the protection of city dwellers by creating new generation masks, 100% Made in France. Are they really effective? In any case, they contribute to individual and collective citizen awareness.
Ahe conclusions of a study published on Monday, September 18 in the journal Environmental Research Letters are alarming: excess nitrogen oxides are responsible for 48,000 deaths a year in France. The "dieselgate" scandal, in particular, is responsible for premature deaths in Europe due to excessive emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx, a highly toxic gas) from the 100 million vehicles on the road in the EU.
Conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Meteorology and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna, the study estimates that in the EU (plus Norway and Switzerland) about 425,000 premature deaths per year are associated with air pollution and exposure to fine particulate matter, of which NOx is a precursor.
But it's not just car pollution that kills: in public transport and especially in the Paris metro...where the air would be 10 times more polluted than outside. But also the liners in Bordeaux : "The heavy fuel oil of these ships has a sulphur content 3,500 times higher than that used to fuel diesel in cars, said in 2015 Pierre Hurmic, president of the group of elected EELV members at the Bordeaux town hall.
So, we're staying in the confines of our own home? Nothing less safe! Because the air in our homes is sometimes more polluted than the air in our streets. For Nadia HerbelotHead of the Air Quality Department at the French Environment Agency (Ademe), "long neglected, indoor air quality is a major public health issue. Because in our homes, air and dust on the ground contain dozens of chemical substances from everyday products, the Indoor Air Quality Observatory (IAQO) reported in 2015. These "semi-volatile organic compounds" come from objects containing plastic (floor coverings, computers, cables, furniture, textiles, etc.), as well as from cleaning or DIY products, cosmetics, insecticides or combustion residues (tobacco, incense, wood heating).
Eco-responsible startups
Today, there is no recommendation from the health authorities encouraging individuals to wear respiratory protection during pollution alerts. However, fine particles enter the body through the lungs and are harmful to health in the short term (irritation, anxiety...) and in the long term (classified as a Class 1 carcinogen, risk of heart and respiratory diseases). Wearing an anti-pollution mask is useful, provided you wear the right type of mask for the right type of pollution.
R-Pure Mask : Matthieu Lecuyer and Flavien Hello have developed a top-of-the-range anti-pollution mask for 2 wheels that filters out nanoparticles : R-Pur. A mask 100 times more efficient than the highest European standard, the FFP3, and which filters out nanoparticles: toxic particles, fine particles, diesel, pollen, bacteria...
Last June, the R-Pur team launched a participatory fundraising campaign to launch the industrialization of the product. The initial objective (15,000 euros) was largely exceeded, with pre-sales reaching 60,000 euros. The first batch of 1,000 masks is due to be delivered in October. Distributors are interested: bicycle shops, motorcycle accessories shops, electric two-wheelers.
The men's and women's masks will be available in the summer collection before being exported to Europe and Asia in 2018.
Mask Mask Generation MASK Generation : Created in 2015 by Simon Sow and Laura Cooper, a couple of French entrepreneurs committed to environmental issues and concerned about climate change due to pollution, MASK Generation has designed another top-of-the-range anti-pollution urban mask, combining fashion and research: an effective, trendy and connected accessory.
The founders of MASK Generation made the choice to protect today's urban dwellers by creating a 100% urban mask made in France, with a thermoformable foam for greater comfort and to adapt to all types of faces.
Relying on several years of research and development, MASK Generation carries eco-responsible values, offering the general public a design and fun product that meets environmental protection standards. In order to avoid poor recycling, user filters are collected through a return system.
Committed to environmental issues, the start-up MASK Génération designs its masks in France to offer users certified quality products. Practical and foldable, the products have been designed with an antibacterial and anti-perspirant fabric, in all sizes: for men, women and children.
Frog" model from Mask Generation
From October 2017, this French startup will be in a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter with its new mask, to test the appetence of its products on the French and to carry out a full-scale market study by taking its contributors to task.
Through this campaign, MASK Generation hopes to generate sufficient funds to market its products as early as December and become the responsible gift of Christmas 2017.
Scarf Wair : It is the first trendy and connected anti-pollution scarf, created by the French designer Caroline Van Renterghem. Part of the "Fashion Tech" movement that introduces innovation in the world of fashion, this new scarf is directly linked to the free application "Supairman". This application informs about the air quality and gives a lot of tips on how to enjoy the city in better and healthier conditions. This 2.0 assistant can also find alternative itineraries or give advice on how to adapt one's lifestyle during periods of high pollution.
The scarf has an adjustable mask specially designed to fit the scarf. It is composed of a filter divided into three parts: a filter enriched with activated carbon, a second anti-particle and the last bactericide. These three layers should stop 99 % of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, particles or heavy metals. Allergy sufferers will also benefit from this, as it is designed to filter pollen.
(1) Worldwide. In France, 50,000 deaths per year, i.e. 5 times more than road accidents (INSERM figure).
