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- Home
- Repositories
  - The Registry of Methods and Tools for Evidence-Informed Decision Making
  - Methods and Tools for Organizational Change
  - Health Evidence™
  - Repository of Public Health Evidence Syntheses
- Training
  - Videos
  - Evidence-Informed Decision-Making Competence Measure
  - Learning Needs Assessment for Evidence-Informed Decision Making
  - Online Learning Modules
  - Webinars
  - Workshops
  - Knowledge Broker Virtual Office Hours
- Tools
  - Evidence-Informed Decision Making in Public Health
  - 6S Search Pyramid
  - Anatomy of a Systematic Review
  - Rapid Review Guidebook
  - EvSyS: The Evidence Synthesis Selection Tool for Decision Makers
  - Algorithm for Classifying the Study Design of Primary Studies
  - Quality Assessment of Community Evidence (QACE) Tools
  - Resource Planning and Assessment (RPA) Tool
  - Assessing Applicability and Transferability of Evidence Tool (A&T Tool)
  - Mental Health Resources for Healthcare Workers
- Rapid Evidence Service
- Impact
  - Evidence-Informed Decision Making Casebook
  - Impact of the Knowledge Broker Mentoring Program
  - Why It Matters
  - NCCMT Publications
  - User Stories
  - Outreach
  - KT Student Awards
- About Us
  - About the NCCMT
  - Our Funder
  - Our Host Institution
  - The National Collaborating Centres
  - Team Members
  - Advisory Board Members
  - Students
  - COVID-19 Evidence Network to support Decision-making (COVID-END)
  - Contact Us

Wildfires Masks

Rapid Review Update 1: What effect does wearing a face mask during combustion-derived air pollution episodes have on human health endpoints?

There is a lack of published evidence on the effects of mask-wearing on health during combustion-derived air pollution episodes, such as wildfires.

Citation:

Neil-Sztramko, S.E., Traynor, R.L., Camargo, K., Tutt, E., Dobbins, M. (2025, May 30). Rapid Review Update 1: What effect does wearing a face mask during combustion-derived air pollution episodes have on human health endpoints? National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools’ Rapid Evidence Service. https://nccmt.ca/pdfs/res/wildfire-masks

Public health topic area:

Public Health

Review question:

Population

General population exposed in residential environments (both indoor and outdoor), clean air spaces, public/institutional buildings (e.g., schools, daycares, malls, libraries, community centres, healthcare centres, long-term care centres, etc.), vehicles

Intervention

Face mask (including N95 respirators or similar, procedure masks, three-layer cloth masks, other cloth masks)

Comparisons

Not wearing a face mask

Outcomes

Any direct or indirect, acute or long-term health outcomes; use of emergency services, emergency room visits, or hospitalizations; or cellular-level outcomes* (e.g., inflammation markers, oxidative stress)

Setting

Any country

Context

During combustion-derived air pollution episodes that may be caused by fire (wildland, coal mine fires, peat fires, interface fires, landscape fires, agricultural fires, prescribed burns, industrial fires, landfill fires, tire fires, any multi-day structural fires (e.g., 9/11), and residential wood combustion (i.e., wood stoves), including studies that use source attribution methods)

Search Updated:

Apr 23, 2025

Review Completed:

May 30, 2025

Previous versions:

Version 1

Dec 20, 2024

Current Version #2 Access the review

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