SPECIFICATION COMPARISON
Based on this comparison, it is reasonable to consider China KN95, AS/NZ P2, Korea 1st Class, and Japan DS FFRs as “equivalent” to US NIOSH N95 and European FFP2 respirators, for filtering non-oil-based particles such as those resulting from wildfires, PM 2.5 air pollution, volcanic eruptions, or bioaerosols (e.g. viruses). However, prior to selecting a respirator, users should consult their local respiratory protection regulations and requirements or check with their local public health authorities for selection guidance.
| Certification/ Class (Standard) | N95 (NIOSH-42C FR84) | Korea 1st Class (KMOEL - 2017-64) | KN95 (GB2626-20 06) | FFP2 (EN 149-2001) |
| Filter performance – (must be ≥ X% efficient) | ≥ 95% | ≥ 94% | ≥ 95% | ≥ 94% |
| Test agent | NaCl | NaCl and paraffin oil | NaCl | NaCl and paraffin oil |
| Flow rate | 85 L/min | 95 L/min | 85 L/min | 95 L/min |
| Total inward leakage (TIL)* – tested on human subjects each performing exercises | N/A | ≤ 8% leakage (arithmetic mean) | ≤ 8% leakage (arithmetic mean) | ≤ 8% leakage (arithmetic mean) |
| Inhalation resistance – max pressure drop | ≤ 343 Pa | ≤ 70 Pa (at 30 L/min) ≤ 240 Pa (at 95 L/min) | ≤ 350 Pa | ≤ 70 Pa (at 30 L/min) ≤ 240 Pa (at 95 L/min) ≤ 500 Pa (clogging) |
| Flow rate | 85 L/min | Varied – see above | 85 L/min | Varied – see above |
| Exhalation resistance - max pressure drop | ≤ 245 Pa | ≤ 300 Pa | ≤ 250 Pa | ≤ 300 Pa |
| Flow rate | 85 L/min | 160 L/min | 85 L/min | 160 L/min |
| Exhalation valve leakage requirement | Leak rate ≤ 30 mL/min | visual inspection after 300 L /min for 30 sec | Depressurizatio n to 0 Pa ≥ 20 sec | N/A |
| Force applied | -245 Pa | N/A | -1180 Pa | N/A |
| CO2 clearance requirement | N/A | ≤ 1% | ≤ 1% | ≤1% |
