Aaron Collins
@masknerd.bsky.social
3.6K followers 69 following 660 posts
Goal is to test and evaluate the best masks out there. Mask up and stay safe!
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Reposted by Aaron Collins
openaeros.bsky.social
This year, we’ve been working with a team of passionate, creative makers to put our open source respirator prototype manufacturing methods to the test. We’re so excited to be introducing you to a couple of them this week. In the meantime, here’s some background on what we’ve been up to: (1/4)
A black and white rasterized laptop and hand holding a pen are pictured. The pen is aimed at the screen of the laptop, which appears blue with a white graphic of a mask on it. The thumbnail of the hand is painted the same blue and squiggly action lines emanate from it. Down the center of the image, weaving in and out of those graphics, appear the words "follow along" in various shades of blue. Underneath, the url openaeros.com/openrespirator is visible. An openRespirator logo with the words "creative cohort" appear in the top right.
Reposted by Aaron Collins
linseymarr.bsky.social
The momentum for clean indoor air continues to build. I attended the inaugural High-Level Side Event on indoor air quality at the UN General Assembly yesterday. Short remarks by Lidia Morawska @joeallenjoe.bsky.social @isiaq.bsky.social Pres. Kerry Kinney, ASHRAE, WHO, UNEP, many others.
People in conference room at the UN building The global pledge for healthy indoor air: That clean indoor air is a fundamental human right for protecting health and safeguarding well-being
Reposted by Aaron Collins
openaeros.bsky.social
Aaron (and our little CPC! 🥹) are taking their places on the floor of the UN! This year is the inaugural General Assembly High Level Side Event on Indoor Air Quality and we're so excited to participate.

The panel will open soon, watch along here: webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1v...

#IndoorAir
OpenAeros founder Aaron Collins poses for a selfie from the floor on the UNGA High Level Side Event On Indoor Air Quality with the OpenCPC. The CPC is on, Collins is wearing a mask and suit, and the meeting room behind him is filling with people from across the globe who are convening to discuss IAQ policy. the OpenCPC sits facing a filling room at the UN General Assembly Side Event on Indoor Air Quality. Its screen displays a live particulate count and the screens labelling participant and audience seats face back, reading #IndoorAir
masknerd.bsky.social
Glad to bring the "little CPC that could" to the Healthy Indoor Air event at the UN today. The conversation in clean air are moving in the right directions.

Open source hardware will be part of the solutions and proud to show off the OpenCPC as part of tools that can help us measure it.
masknerd.bsky.social
Doh...forgot to attach my picture!
masknerd.bsky.social
We are limited by budget, so these units will add about 1.5-2.5 eACH to the space, or effectively mitigate about 7 kids worth per classroom. It isn't perfect and with double the budget I think we could hit close to ASHREA 241 levels with current HVAC system.
masknerd.bsky.social
Clean air is not complicated, and costs less than $10 per kid per year to do. This is the 4th year of managing this for my son's school. What happens when he moves to the next school, who will keep doing this for the other kids? We need clean air standards and legislation.
masknerd.bsky.social
Passionate about clean air, environmental justice, and community-based participatory research? The OSLUV Project(501c3 non-profit) is hiring for a Grant Project Manager position for a state funded air quality research effort. You also get to work with me 😂
www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...
The OSLUV Project hiring Grant Project Manager in St Paul, MN | LinkedIn
Posted 9:01:10 PM. Organization: The OSLUV Project, Saint Paul, Minnesota.Status: Immediate OpeningDuration: Summer…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.
www.linkedin.com
masknerd.bsky.social
I couldn't think of a better way to have spent the last 2.5 years of my life. I am incredibly proud of what the team at @openaeros.bsky.social was able to accomplish. There were many who said this was impossible, but we did the impossible and this is just the start. 😁

#cleanairisahumanright
openaeros.bsky.social
We believe that clean air researchers and proponents are doing critical work for our health and future. Too few have had access to the tools to investigate the next frontier of airborne pollutants: ultrafine particles. But we have big news... (1/4)
Introducing the OpenCPC!
YouTube video by OpenAeros
youtu.be
masknerd.bsky.social
Have not tested them, but in general in 2025 if it's not tested against a respirator standard (N95, FFP2, KN95) then likely device can't meet those performance specs. Their website doesn't list any mask standards it complies to but claims a general "95%" which to me is a red flag.
general.at
masknerd.bsky.social
As I understand it yes, of course all the data is animal models but most experiments outcomes are not infection but death. Lower dose reduces probability of death in animals.
qmrawiki.org/experiments/...

So lower dose, in my opinion is always better. But we also need built enviro to have Ro < 1 too
SARS: Dose Response Experiments | QMRA
qmrawiki.org
masknerd.bsky.social
Ahh...yes but this is where it gets interesting. At low risk levels it becomes basically linear(meaning half dose results in half risk). However if the curve is not exponential reducing dose by half could be actually 1/4 risk. Which means are targeted vent+filter targets are easier to meet.
masknerd.bsky.social
[3/3] Charles Haas has had some good publications on this in the water-borne front. Anyways didn't catch this in the video, and thought it might relevent, and thanks for making the videos!
academic.oup.com/aje/article-...
academic.oup.com
masknerd.bsky.social
[2/3] ...it's impossible to breathe in less than 1 virus, it's either 0 or 1. We also have very little data at low dose exposure as to what curve we should use, because it requires tons of data to resolve a 10% chance of infection. So care must be used when trying to estimate below a 1% risk IMO.
masknerd.bsky.social
[1/3]I think it's also important to note the Wells-Riley model uses a exponential dose-response model(hence 1-exp()). Using it for very-low exposure begins to separate from the physical result. Such that breathing in dose that low enough to represent 0.1 viruses still has prob infection but...
masknerd.bsky.social
It's crazy to me to see the US Forest Service deny the ever obvious health risks with breathing wildfire smoke. We lack good PPE because there is a limited market, it's a limited market because the Forest Service denies there is a problem. Need a demand pull for PPE.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/u...
Wildfire Fighters, Unmasked in Toxic Smoke, Are Getting Sick and Dying
www.nytimes.com
masknerd.bsky.social
They have legit KF94's and were one of the first companies to import a wide range of KF94's into the US during the beginning of the pandemic.
masknerd.bsky.social
That's great to hear, and excited that his expertise can continue to advance science. He has done some great work in masking and with his help with the ASTM TOL workgroup.
masknerd.bsky.social
I made a bold claim this spring, if you recontextualize the 2022 CDC mortality data and look at the root cause of mortality, **the #1 killer in the US stuff you breathe**.

Clean air leads to better health, including lower blood pressure.
www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/...
Effect of HEPA Filtration Air Purifiers on Blood Pressure: A Pragmatic Randomized Crossover Trial
www.jacc.org
masknerd.bsky.social
Air cleaners are always helpful. How helpful they are depend on the size of the space, the model you have and the speed you run it at.
masknerd.bsky.social
It's the SaveWo 3D Ultra, which is KN95/KF94/FFP2 depending on where you buy it.
masknerd.bsky.social
Poor air quality? Throw on a hyper-breathable mask and do your activities. Still managed over 18 mph highlighting that we have the technology and we should use it!
masknerd.bsky.social
It's very off base, not sure if it was the reporter misunderstanding but appears to be a direct quote. It's bonkers.
masknerd.bsky.social
Slow response 😁 but I think myself and others interpreted your first post to mean we have to measure all constituents to define good air quality, but you had meant you can't just use one single metric, such as CO2 to define "air quality". Makes more sense now!