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WW2 British gas mask: Asbestos risk?

Discussion in 'Uniforms, Personal Gear (Kit) and Accessories' started by Kryptaos, Apr 15, 2018.

  1. Kryptaos

    Kryptaos New Member

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    So I bought this mask at a military surplus store in the summer of 2016, the original filter came in a canister that I had to open with a regular can opener so I'm assuming the filter and mask had never been used until then. Sometime later I put the filter on and wore it for a few minutes before realizing how annoyingly heavy the filter was and took it off and I'm pretty sure I never wore it with the filter since (maybe once or twice for a few minutes at a time, I probably never wore it with the filter for more than 20 minutes total added up at the absolute most, this was before I knew of the asbestos risk). The mask spent a lot of time in my room on display with the filter either on or off but I always wore it without the filter, sometimes before spring 2017 I ultimately discarded the original filter and washed the mask after learning of the asbestos risk. I ultimately 3D printed a new (non-functioning) filter this January, you can see it in the pic. Is there still a risk of asbestos exposure and also, how much of a risk was wearing it for the short times I described?

    Also, my mom thinks the cloth tape around the snout and the filter threads is asbestos tape, I highly doubt it. It's regular cloth tape, am I correct?
    [​IMG]
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Waspish

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    There is very definitely an asbestos risk in early gas masks.

    No expert, but yours doesn't look particularly WW2.
     
  3. von Poop

    von Poop Waspish

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  4. von Poop

    von Poop Waspish

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    Tread carefully, I'm afraid.
    It does seem to depend on filter type, but it's one of those things that one tries not to take too many risks with:
     

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  5. lwd

    lwd Ace

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    Tread even more carefully if you are a smoker. Apparently there's almost no incidence of the most well known asbestos related cancer among people who don't smoke and who are not exposed to significant second hand smoke.
     

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