Multipurpose: Filters organic vapors, acid gas, and alkaline. OV/AG: A dual cartridge that filters everything covered by OV and AG cartridges.Īlkaline: Filters alkaline chemicals such as ammonia, methylamine, and phosphine. Organic Vapor (OV): Filters vapors from organic liquids, such as gasoline, some solvents, and paints.Īcid Gas (AG): Filters toxic gases including sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen sulfide. Common types of chemical cartridges include: You need a respirator with chemical cartridges when working with chemicals, including spray paints, certain solvents, chlorine, and ammonia.

Let's explore the differences and when you might need to use each type. Respirators filters come in two varieties: chemical cartridges and particulate filters. Compared to half-face respirators, full-face varieties are heavy and bulky.The eye protection built into full-face respirators is often superior to goggles or safety glasses.įull-face respirators have a tendency to steam up unless they have a way to release moisture, like the cool flow valve in 3M respirators. If you need eye protection and don't already have it, you'll need to buy goggles separately.įull-face respirators cover your mouth and nose and provide built-in eye protection.įull-face respirators protect your eyes from harm, as well as your lungs.Most half-face respirators fit under welding hoods. If you do need eye protection, you can choose your own when wearing a half-face respirator. Many people find half-face respirators less intrusive.Įye protection is unnecessary for some jobs, such as painting or staining. Half-face respirators, sometimes known as “half-mask” respirators, cover your mouth and nose and are usually fitted with a single strap around the back of the head.

Two other types of respirators, disposables, and dedicated air supplies are outside the scope of this review.ĭisposable respirators don’t offer the same class of protection as reusable respirators, and dedicated air supplies are typically used in specialized professional or industrial situations. In this review, we focus on the two most common types of reusable respirators: full-face and half-face respirators. Respirators are useful for a range of tasks that include spray painting, cleaning mold, and working with chemicals.

Honeywell s-series ov/ag p100 cartridge