New Studies Find Toxic Risks Associated With Face Masks Amid Reemergence of Mask Mandates

GOP lawmakers express strong opposition to possible renewed mandates

A man wearing a face mask walks past a sign stating a masks requirement posted on a storefront in Los Angeles, on March 2, 2022. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Two new studies—one from South Korea via the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the other from Germany—have found that extended face mask use results in excessive inhalation of toxic volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and is linked to chronic headaches, nausea, organ damage, and cancer.

“Measuring the Quantity of Harmful Volatile Organic Compounds Inhaled Through Masks” was published in April and more recently shared by the NIH. The analysis was conducted by researchers from Jeonbuk National University in South Korea, who focused particular attention on the KN94, which is equivalent to the U.S. KN95 face masks.

“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends keeping TVOC levels below 0.5 parts per million in indoor air. The mask sample with the highest amount of TVOCs had 4,808 cubic meters per microgram, which is about 4.8 parts per million. That means more than eight times the recommended limit,” Liberty Counsel, quoting the study, said in an Aug. 30 statement.

“According to the American Lung Association, TVOCs have been shown to irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, cause difficulty breathing and nausea, and damage the central nervous system and organs like the liver. Other types of products that release TVOCs are paint, caulks, cleaners/disinfectants, pesticides, and even tobacco smoke.”

Mat Staver, chairman of Liberty Counsel, in a February 2022 interview with NTD's "The Nation Speaks." NTD/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law firm based in Florida, has been deeply involved in litigation against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for members of the U.S. military, as well as in opposition to mask mandates.

The law firm pointed to the South Korean study, the authors of which cautioned that “it is clear that particular attention must be paid to the [volatile organic compounds] associated with the use of KF94 masks [and] their effects on human health. Based on our findings, we suggest that prior to wearing a KF94 mask, each product should be opened and not worn for at least 30 [minutes], thereby reducing TVOC concentrations to levels that will not impair human health.” The authors also recommended that additional studies be conducted on the issue.

The German study was conducted in 2022 by five independent researchers associated with medical, private practice, and academic institutions in the Western European nation. The study was particularly concerned about the impact of increased exposure of children, teens, and pregnant women to high levels of TVOCs.

“There is a possible negative impact risk by imposing extended mask mandates, especially for vulnerable subgroups. Circumstantial evidence exists that extended mask use may be related to current observations of stillbirths and to reduced verbal motor and overall cognitive performance in children born during the pandemic. A need exists to reconsider mask mandates,” the study researchers wrote.

A handful of hospitals around the country have reissued mask mandates, but CDC officials said they have no such requirement in force because hospital admissions for COVID-19 cases are currently low for 96 percent of the country.

A CDC spokesman didn’t respond to The Epoch Times’ subsequent request for clarification as to the number and locations of hospital admissions that would be needed to prompt official issuance of a new mask mandate. President Joe Biden disclosed on Aug. 25 that a new COVID-19 vaccine is being developed and that he will ask Congress for additional funding for the research.

That forthcoming funding request is already prompting intense opposition among congressional Republicans.

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 8, 2022. Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) said in an Aug. 28 statement that he “will forever stand against government mandates. I advise those in South Louisiana and across the country to not comply. Stand up against the shackles of tyranny and oppression. I will stand with every citizen who rejects new mandates, and I will oppose every elected or appointed public official who supports oppression of individual rights and freedoms.”

House Republicans told The Epoch Times that they think President Biden should reconsider any decision to impose a new mask mandate.

“The Biden Administration is hell-bent on controlling the American people by forcing the COVID vaccine and mask mandates down their throats. We have moved on from COVID. We already know that the authoritarian mask mandates for young children resulted in irrevocable learning loss. Now, studies show that prolonged mask use exposes us to dangerous toxins; I can’t say I’m surprised. Joe Biden needs to cease his COVID hysteria immediately,” Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) told The Epoch Times in an email.

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) told The Epoch Times: “Time and time again, studies show federal mask mandates are ineffective. This new information bolsters the widely held perception in Texas that extended mask mandates have real negative consequences. The Biden administration should reconsider their priorities and public guidance.”

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) told The Epoch Times: “It’s no coincidence that the Biden administration is once again fully embracing the idea of another pandemic just before an election. I’m glad the scientific community is conducting research and telling the truth about masks, rather than giving in to the Left’s crusade to muzzle the American People.

“The White House’s push for more vaccines and a return to masking only reinforces the notion that Joe Biden has no problem using fear to increase his control over Americans. Families should be free to make decisions that are most appropriate for their circumstances, weighing all the possible factors, without the looming threat of government coercion.”