How to read a respirator cartridge color code
The band of color on a cartridge tells you what it is approved to capture. Black is organic vapor, white is acid gas, yellow is organic vapor and acid gas together, green is ammonia and methylamine, olive is a multi-gas cartridge, and magenta is a P100 particulate filter. A cartridge with 2 colors does both jobs: magenta over yellow is a P100 filter combined with an organic vapor and acid gas cartridge. The code is a quick check, not the approval. The NIOSH label on the cartridge or its box lists the exact contaminants it is approved for, and that label governs.
3M 6001 organic vapor cartridgeBlack, the organic vapor color, as published by 3MWhy are cartridges color coded? A half mask takes dozens of different cartridges and they all look alike from across a shop. The color lets a worker, a supervisor or an inspector see at a glance whether the cartridge on the mask matches the hazard on the permit, without reading small print. NIOSH requires the color and markings on every approved cartridge and canister to follow ANSI K13.1-1973, and OSHA requires the employer to keep every filter, cartridge and canister in the workplace labeled and color coded with its NIOSH approval label, legible and in place.
What do the colors mean?
The main colors, as published by the manufacturers of the cartridges in our catalog under the ANSI K13.1 scheme.
Cartridge color code chart
| Color | Approved for | Catalog examples |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Organic vapor | 3M 6001, MSA GMA, Moldex 7100 |
| White | Acid gas | 3M 6002 |
| Yellow | Organic vapor and acid gas | 3M 6003, MSA GMC |
| Green | Ammonia and methylamine | 3M 6004 |
| Olive | Multi-gas or multi-vapor | 3M 6006, MSA GME |
| Olive and black | Formaldehyde and organic vapor | 3M 6005 |
| Magenta | P100 particulate filter (99.97 percent), HE filter | 3M 2091, 7093, MSA 815177 |
| Magenta over another color | P100 filter combined with that cartridge | 3M 60923 (yellow), 60924 (green), MSA GMA-P100 (black) |
The colors are the ANSI K13.1-1973 scheme that 42 CFR 84 incorporates, as 3M and MSA publish them for the cartridges named. Other colors exist for less common cartridges, such as mercury vapor; read the label for those. European-marked cartridges (A1B1E1K1, A2B2-P3 and similar) use a separate letter and color system under EN 14387 and are not part of the NIOSH code.
42 CFR 84.113, 84.171(b) and 84.193; manufacturer product data for the parts named.
Why does the label still matter if the color is right?
The color names a group; the NIOSH approval label names the contaminants. Two black cartridges from different makers are both organic vapor, but one may carry an added approval the other does not. The label also carries the cautions and limitations that apply to that cartridge. NIOSH requires an abbreviated approval label on every cartridge and filter and the full label on the container, and OSHA requires the employer to keep those labels in place and legible.
42 CFR 84.33(b) and (e) (label contents and locations); 29 CFR 1910.134(j).The color also says nothing about how long the cartridge lasts. A gas or vapor cartridge must be changed on a schedule the employer sets from data for the contaminant and concentration, or when a NIOSH-certified end-of-service-life indicator shows it is spent. The schedule must rest on objective information or data, not on the wearer noticing the chemical.
29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)(B).How do you read a 2-color cartridge?
- Magenta plus a gas color: a P100 particulate filter built onto that cartridge. Magenta over yellow is P100 plus organic vapor and acid gas; magenta over green is P100 plus ammonia and methylamine; magenta over black is P100 plus organic vapor.
- Olive plus magenta: a multi-gas cartridge with a P100 filter. 3M’s 60926 and MSA’s GME-P100 are labeled this way.
- A gas cartridge with a separate filter clipped on the front: the cartridge keeps its own color and the filter keeps its own class marking. Both labels apply, and the filter class (P95, P100) is printed on the filter, not implied by the cartridge.
- No color band at all, only a printed label: still check the class and the approval. Some manufacturers print the color code as a stripe or a dot rather than a full band.
Cartridges and filters by color
32 items · prices liveColors are as published by each manufacturer for the part shown; the NIOSH approval label on the cartridge lists the contaminants it is approved for. Pack size is on the product page. Free shipping on orders over $199.
The facepieces these cartridges fit, and PAPR cartridges, are in the respirator selector.
Questions people ask
What does a black respirator cartridge mean?
Organic vapor. It is the color manufacturers use for organic vapor cartridges under the ANSI K13.1 scheme that NIOSH incorporates in 42 CFR 84.
What color is a P100 filter?
Magenta. 42 CFR 84.171(b) requires P100 and HE filters to be magenta and every other class to be a color other than magenta.
What does yellow mean on a cartridge?
Organic vapor and acid gas in one cartridge, as 3M and MSA label the 6003 and GMC.
What is an olive cartridge?
A multi-gas cartridge approved for several gas and vapor groups. The approval label lists which ones.
Is the color code the same for every brand?
The NIOSH-approved cartridges in our catalog from 3M, MSA and Moldex follow the same colors. Cartridges marked to the European EN 14387 system use different letters and colors.
Can I pick a cartridge by color alone?
No. The color identifies the group; the NIOSH approval label identifies the contaminants and the limits. OSHA requires the label to stay on the cartridge for that reason. 1910.134(j).
Does the color tell me when to change the cartridge?
No. Change schedules come from the employer’s program under 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)(B), or from a NIOSH-certified end-of-service-life indicator.
Standards and ratings on this page are as published in the documents named and by the manufacturers named. The employer’s hazard assessment and written program decide what applies at a given workplace. Verify a rating on the product and its spec sheet before use.