January 30, 2021

Surgical Face Mask and N95 Face Mask Comparison

It is important to know the difference between the two commonly used masks; N95 respirators and surgical masks. These two types of face masks are compared and presented in the table below. N95 respirators and surgical face masks are PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that are used to protect the wearer from airborne particles and from liquid contaminating the face.

	Surgical Face Mask	N95 Respirator Face Mask
Single Use	Yes. They should not be shared or reused.	Yes. They should not be shared or reused.
Require regulatory approval	Yes	Yes
Regulatory Body	Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)	Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
General usage	Block large particle droplets, splashes, sprays, or splatter that may contain germs (viruses and bacteria).	Reduces exposure to small particle aerosols and large droplets except for non-oil aerosols.
Face Seal Fitting	Loose-fitting	Very close facial fit
User Seal Check	Not required	Yes, required. Needed every time the respirator is put on.
Filtration Process	Not very efficient for filtering or blocking very small particles in the air that may be transmitted by coughs, sneezes, or certain medical procedures.	Filters out at least 95% of airborne particles including large and small particles, bacterial filtration efficiency.
Testing requirements	- Fluid resistance - Filtration efficiency Particulate Filtration Efficiency (PFE) Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) - Flammability - Biocompatibility	- Fluid resistance - Filtration efficiency Particulate Filtration Efficiency (PFE) Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) - Flammability - Biocompatibility
Leakage	The edges of the mask are not designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth and when users inhale. Leakage occurs along the edges of the mask.	When properly fitted and donned, the edges of the respirator are designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth, only minimal leakage occurs around edges of the respirator when the user inhales.