There is added benefit to donning face masks during the pandemic. Besides offering protection for you and others from COVID-19, experts say that certain face masks can also protect you from the dangers of air pollution. The American Lung Association says that pollution increases many health risks including premature death, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and asthma attacks.

According to Women's Health, Richard Peltier, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, says N95-type masks offer the best protection against everyday pollution that includes factory and vehicle emissions. “When you move to the low-tech solutions-the cloth masks and bandanas, or surgical masks — these often have very little effect because the particles are so small,” he said.

However, Peltier told Women’s Health said that his research showed about 15% to 30% of particles are blocked by these masks so they can offer a degree of pollution protection. Peltier says that surgical masks have a tighter weave, so they are more efficient than cloth masks.

“You can’t see through a surgical mask,” he explains. “You can hold it up to the light, but you can’t see through it.” On the other hand, he says, you most likely can see through a cloth mask.

Another silver lining to wearing a face mask is that it may lower your odds of getting the flu, say experts. “It’s the same concept as preventing the spread of COVID-19,” says Dr. Rajeev Fernando, chief of the Infectious Disease Department from Southampton Hospital. “Masks can help prevent respiratory droplets from spreading.”