Recent Advances in Facemask Devices for In Vivo Sampling of Human Exhaled Breath Aerosols and Inhalable Environmental Exposures ^☆

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the unprecedented use of facemasks has been requiring for filtering exhaled and inhaled air in daily life. By wearing facemask, human exhaled breath aerosols and inhaled environmental exposures can be efficiently filtered and thus can be resided in facemask. Therefore, facemask could be a simple, wearable, in vivo, onsite and noninvasive sampler for collecting exhaled and inhaled compositions, and gain new insights into human health and environmental exposure. In this review, the recent advances in developments and applications of in vivo facemask sampling of human exhaled bacteria, viruses, proteins, and metabolites, and inhalable chemical contaminants and air pollutants of facemask are reviewed. New features of facemask sampling are highlighted. The perspectives and challenges on further development and potential applications of facemask devices are also discussed.

Graphical abstract