Respiratory mask using a combination of spunbond, meltblown, and activated carbon materials for reducing exposure to CO: an in vivo study.

Air pollution is a serious health problem in almost all developing and developed countries around the world. One component of air pollution dangerous for health is carbon monoxide (CO). The largest source of carbon monoxide is the burning of fossil fuels and peatland fires. The government continues to control pollution through both environmental management and summer pollution control. However, the resulting impact is less than optimal. We conducted a study to test the material used as an alternative respiratory protector in absorbing CO gas. The protective material comprised of a combination of spunbond, meltblown, and activated carbon materials. We carried the study out on a laboratory scale using experimental animals that were subjected to different stages of treatment. The results showed that respiratory protective masks with a combination of activated carbon and spunbond/meltblown materials were better able to inhibit CO exposure (p ≤ 0.001) than respiratory masks without activated carbon. The combination material is thus effective in absorbing CO; it can carry further research out on other harmful gases such as NO and NO2.

Health Education to Reduce Helminthiasis: Deficits in Diets in Children and Achievement of Students of Elementary Schools at Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

Worms are still a serious problem for poor and developing countries. Children, especially school-age children, are more at risk of infection. Efforts need to be made to prevent the effects of worms. Prevention can be done through a promotive approach. This observational study with a pre-posttest and cross-sectional approach is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of health education on healthy and helminthic behavior and analyzing the impact of helminthiasis on the deficit in the diet and children's learning achievement. The number of samples is 60 students from five grade 3 and 4 elementary schools in North Pontianak, West Kalimantan. The sampling technique was carried out by proportional random sampling. Worm infection in elementary school students was 16.7%, anemia was 55%, and learning achievement scores were less than the average grade of 55%. There was a significant difference in health counseling towards a decrease in the worm number (p = 0.046). There was a significant relationship between healthy living behavior and helminthiasis (p = 0.005). There was a significant relationship between helminthiasis and anemia (p = 0.017). There is a relationship between helminthiasis and learning achievement in elementary school children (p = 0.017). There is a relationship between anemia and learning achievement (p = 0.005). It is necessary for public health centers to provide treatment services for worms and health education about the effects of helminthiasis on health and learning achievement. The school should provide hand washing facilities in schools, and parents should play an active role in improving clean and healthy lifestyle habits at home.

Active Carbon Respiratory Masks as the Adsorbent of Toxic Gases in Ambient Air.

The air quality that is increasingly carrying out pollution as a result of pollution by human activities is of concern to the world, both developed and developing countries. The impact of air pollution is unavoidable, especially for health. Several efforts have been made to suppress the occurrence of pollution starting from the control of sources, media, and protective efforts in human beings. Focusing on protective efforts, this study was carried out by designed respiratory masks capable of adsorbing toxic gases in ambient air by utilizing mask materials on the market with the addition of activated carbon; the study was carried out with an experimental approach. Testing distinguishes the ability of cotton, spunbond, meltblown, and activated carbon as a respiratory mask to absorb toxic gases such as COx, NOx, and SOx. Test statistics are using the ANOVA test with a confidence level of 95%, α = 5%. The results show that combining activated carbon, spunbond, and meltblown is more effective compared to respiratory masks made from spunbond and meltblown (surgical masks) in absorbing toxic gases.