From the Fires: Smoke Mask Company Puraka Pivots to PM2.5 Face Coverings

In late summer of 2017, a carelessly-tossed firework was the spark for a massive fire and cloud of smoke that made the air unsafe to breathe for millions of Puget Sound residents. Less than a year later, thick smoke from Canadaian forest fires once again covered Seattle, resulting in 24 days of poor air quality, 9 of which were so bad that Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, in an eerie omen of things to come, advised the public to either stay indoors, or - if going outside was absolutely necessary - to wear a mask.

These two events provided their own kind of spark for a group of parents in Seattle who saw an unmet need in their community for a technology to help alleviate the effects of poor air quality, especially for the seniors and sensitive individuals who were most at risk. Taking a cue from Asia's approach to particulate pollution, they realized that a fitted cloth face mask with a high-efficiency "PM2.5 filter" was the perfect solution for protecting your lungs with far less strain on your heart than a respirator like the N95. Several months later, Puraka Masks was born, with its unique "filter delivery service", customized to their customers' local air quality conditions. The name, Puraka, is Sanskrit and means "the inhalation of air while breathing", a perfect fit for a company dedicated to balanced respiratory protection.

When COVID began spreading around the globe as if from the sparks of a wayward bottle rocket, the Puraka team updated their algorithm to include early-warning alerts, safety tips, and advice on mask use for their customers. In fact, the filtration technology in the PM2.5 filters that provided such effective protection from wildfire smoke, allergens, and air particulates, was used in the same material as the N95 masks used to protect against COVID-19. Although a fabric mask with PM2.5 filters is not a sealed respirator certified for medical use, Chinese scientists have known for some time that they are almost as effective, in part because they are significantly more comfortable than an N95 mask, making the wearer less likely adjust them or otherwise touch them unnecessarily.

"The situation became very real when Seattle was the epicenter," a company spokesperson said. "We depleted all our masks and most of our filters within two weeks. The new issue became inventory. All of our material suppliers were also out of stock or under shelter-in-place restrictions. There was a massive worldwide shortage on respirator masks and filters."

Miraculously, a textile manufacturer referral in West Bellevue came from an unlikely source: a 5th grader at Medina Elementary. When Puraka was facing inventory shortages, a daughter of one of the founders informed him that her classmate's mother - a textile manufacturer and clothing designer in West Bellevue - could design and produce masks for Puraka.

During the shelter-in-place order, the designer converted her textile production into full-time respirator mask manufacturing for Puraka. Using original patterns, she procured elastics, ear loops, nose guards, and all the materials needed to manufacture high-quality respirator masks to house the PM2.5 filters.

"We would call each other's cellphones while I was standing outside the designer's window," the spokesperson said. "She'd hold up fabric samples and patterns and I would point through the glass which one to use. We were desperate for masks. We had a warehouse full of disposable PM2.5 filters, but without cotton masks to use them with, they were not going to be able to help anyone. Online stores, foreign suppliers, and local companies were sold out. To be of any use to the healthcare professionals, retirement community workers, firefighters, and other critical service providers, we needed professional manufacturing. We were fortunate to find this resource within our own community."

Wearing a mask in times like these not only sends the right message to the ones we care about, it's also the best thing you can do to keep those around you safe, in case you unknowingly have the virus yourself.

For more information about Puraka Masks, email info@cleanairresources.com or go to https://www.purakamasks.com.

Puraka Masks
212 Broadway E
#23313
Seattle, WA 98102

Contact:
support@purakamasks.com
206-395-3305

Puraka was founded by a group of parents after the west-coast wildfires in 2017 and 2018. We believe in wearing a mask when the air is unsafe to breathe. Protecting yourself from harmful airborne particulates not only sends the right message to the ones we care about, it's also the best thing you can do to keep your respiratory and cardiovascular systems healthy when the air outside is not.

This release was published on openPR.