November 5, 2001
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmWHAT GOOD ARE GAS MASKS?
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Contrary to some reports, chemists and military experts say that gas masks can protect against nerve gases such as sarin. Although sarin gas can seep through the skin, breathing it delivers a lethal dose about 400 times faster¿so the mask could give you enough time to escape from a noxious cloud. The bad news is that you need to know whether the mask really works (surplus units are untested), how to put it on (the fit must be airtight), when to put it on (by the time you recognize the symptoms, it is probably too late) and when to take it off (the masks are too uncomfortable to keep on indefinitely). None of the experts interviewed for this article bothers to own a mask.
Back to Better Killing through Chemistry
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
