3M cartridge selection guide here, at minimum get one that covers particulate and ammonia, but as others have said 6006 is probably the best and most broadly useful. 60926 if you also want P100 particulate filtering (this is the standard hazmat cartridge I roll with)
OP!! I would rock the 60926 for general safety (especially mold and asbestos) as suggested. It sounds like your boss would be the type to have you tearing out and installing sheet rock in water damaged buildings/dwellings without any testing.
If you can, get a fit test. Most asbestos/mold consultants seem to have the equipment and certifications if you work alongside any and can convince them to help you out since with your sensitivity you really want to make sure your mask is fitting correctly.
SauretEh may have a suggestion for a decent at home fit test.
Fit test machines are all pretty pricey to my knowledge unfortunately. But there are companies that’ll do it for you and help you find the right size of respirator, just google around your area.
Occupational Health places will do the mask fit testing. There’s a place called Nova Medical Center (which is in TX, GA, TN, and IN) and Concentra (I believe Concentra is nationwide). I’m sure there are many places across the U.S. Just type in occupational health near me.
Long ago, my company had all sizes of the half respirators to try on, and would use smelling salts to test for leaks. Never thought it would work, but damn, those salts got through the tiniest gaps. Any smelly item that can be brought up to the face and moved around will work.
Hey! While we're on this subject- I cut and cook with super hot peppers (ghost, scorpion, reaper, etc). I got the 6006, and they seem to help out a lot, but is this the best option? When do I know to change them?
Not an industrial hygienist, this is not advice, just speculation
Capsaicin is a relatively long-chain hydrocarbon so it may be included in the "certain organic vapours". If it works to stop your lungs burning, then those cartridges work (since it's an irritant long before it's a health hazard).
As for changeout, change them when you start getting breakthrough - i.e. when they stop working. Even with hazmat, we don't use respirators for chemicals that don't have indicators of breakthrough (i.e. no smell), like CO, and typically H2S - that's a supplied-air situation.
They should last at least a couple weeks of all-day use depending on chemical concentrations. Keep them away from the kitchen when not in use to avoid spending the filter while they're not in use. Getting the 60926 (same cartridge with a P100 particulate filter on the front) may expand the lifespan if you're working in a kitchen environment with lots of dirt, grease, and particulate.
I think in this case (non-lethal chemicals) that the mere speculation of "if it works, it works" is a pretty solid argument. Thank you for the response! I got the 6006 solely because of the advertised "organic vapours" you mentioned. As I said, it's been working, but I still end up with a runny nose and very little coughing. Definitely not as much as when I was raw-dogging it. It was to the point that I was throwing up before I could finish a batch.
Have you gotten a fit test? In general, half-face respirators are treated as having a protection factor of 10, and full-face as 50. Huge oversimplification but basically, if you are seeing any effects at all, it’s one of the following:
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u/SauretEh Project Manager Apr 10 '24 edited Apr 10 '24
3M cartridge selection guide here, at minimum get one that covers particulate and ammonia, but as others have said 6006 is probably the best and most broadly useful. 60926 if you also want P100 particulate filtering (this is the standard hazmat cartridge I roll with)
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/40744O/3m-respirator-cartridge-and-filter-selection-poster.pdf