The health security agency recommends that public authorities prioritize the marketing or availability of graphene-free masks. However, it considers that it is at this stage “impossible to assess the risk to health” of this substance.
The use of FFP2 masks containing graphene, already temporarily suspended in France, must be avoided as a precaution due to the lack of data on the toxicity of this synthetic material, judges the health security agency on Tuesday. Handles.
“ANSES recommends that public authorities give priority to the marketing or making available of masks without graphene,” said the agency in a press release after an expert report requested by the Directorate General of Health (which depends on the ministry) .
In April, Canada was the first country to highlight the potential risks of FFP2 (or KN95, the North American equivalent) masks containing graphene. He had removed as a precaution the graphene masks manufactured by the Chinese company Shandong Shengquan New Materials, then suspected of causing lung problems.
Lack of information on this substance
After analysis, Canada finally re-authorized these masks in July, believing that they did not present a proven risk. In the meantime, the French authorities had asked in May to no longer use FFP2 graphene masks, distributed in particular to health professionals. This suspension was decided upon pending the risk assessment by ANSES.
Although the available data “do not highlight worrying exposure situations”, ANSES considers “impossible to assess the risk to health”.
It notes in fact a “lack of information on graphene used by manufacturers and on the toxicity of this substance, in particular in the long term”. This is why she considers it preferable to avoid this type of mask as a precaution.
In addition, in a separate opinion, ANSES looked at surgical masks used by the general public. The aim was to assess the possible risks associated with the presence of chemical substances and their inhalation or contact with the skin.
“Reassuring results” on surgical masks
This expertise has given “reassuring results” if the masks are used according to the instructions (changed every four hours, worn the right way, etc.)
“Exposures to chemicals found in masks do not exceed health thresholds, both for adults and for children,” according to ANSES.
This “guarantees the absence of risk to the health of populations, whether these substances are inhaled or in contact with the skin”, when the masks are worn correctly, explains Céline Dubois, coordinator of this expertise at ANSES in the press release.
This expertise was carried out on several dozen references of surgical masks intended for the general public, collected by the DGCCRF (repression of fraud) in 2020 and then 2021.