How does a ventilation mask work?

Question

I was watching a show where investigators had to wear ventilation masks to enter a home which contained a lot of ammonia. How does a ventilation mask work?

Answer 1

Most gas masks such as those worn in hospitals for patients with nasty diesases or in the military have a very tight level of filtration like an air filter for your car. These capture large particles and other large molecules. The next layers usual contain charcoal or a carbon product. First off these bind well with organic molecules and secondly it absorbs liquid to a certain level. There is a great diagram on the website listed below.