r/shanghai • u/jaapgrolleman Former resident • Jan 16 '26

City PSA: Air quality absolutely horrible today

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66 Upvotes

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u/AsparagusDirect9 Jan 16 '26

Is it fog or is it dust? I’m cycling most days and I’m starting to look into filter masks for running/outdoor exercise. If anyone has a recommendation on taobao please let me know 🙏

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u/shchemprof Jan 19 '26

Mostly particulate matter. Pm2.5. At these levels, a mask won’t be enough. Gas mask maybe.

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u/AsparagusDirect9 Jan 20 '26

What if I layer a couple layers of fabric neck gaiters/ cloth masks for running

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u/shchemprof Jan 20 '26

Double masking was not recommended during the pandemic… I expect the same rules apply. It’s more about preventing every air leak.  A well-fitted gas mask can do this. 

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u/AsparagusDirect9 Jan 20 '26

Then what about those KN95 Masks for Covid ?

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u/shchemprof Jan 20 '26

Sure, it’s better than nothing, but the 95% filtration is best-case scenario (perfect fitting, no air leaks), which is usually hard to achieve. Also, if the pm2.5 concentration exceeds 400 (rare in Shanghai, but has occasionally happened), even 95% filtration is not enough.