Respirators for Pharmaceutical and Food Processing
Powders, active ingredients, flour and grain dust, cleaning chemicals: the exposure limits, the OSHA and Cal/OSHA rule paragraphs as written, and the North and Dräger respirators, cartridges and filters whose own published data lists the hazard, with live prices. We sell nationwide; ships in 1–2 business days; most orders arrive in 3–7 business days.
The exposure limits
| Source | Limit |
|---|---|
| OSHA Table Z-1 (29 CFR 1910.1000) | Grain dust (oat, wheat, barley) 10 mg/m³; particulates not otherwise regulated 15 mg/m³ total and 5 mg/m³ respirable; specific actives and cleaning chemicals by their own listings |
What the federal rule says
Each entry is condensed from the paragraph cited; the paragraph itself is the rule and the link opens it.
29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(iii): The employer shall identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace, including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures and an identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form.
Source: 29 CFR, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, as published by OSHA (ecfr.gov / osha.gov), read Nov 2–3 2026.
California (Cal/OSHA)
Each entry is condensed from the paragraph cited; the paragraph itself is the rule and the link opens it.
Title 8 §5144(d)(1): The same hazard-evaluation requirement applies under Cal/OSHA.
Source: California Code of Regulations, Title 8, as published by Cal/OSHA (dir.ca.gov), read Nov 2–3 2026.
What the makers' data lists for powders, active ingredients, flour and grain dust, cleaning chemicals
The Dräger X-plore 8000 PAPR carries IP65 ingress protection (dust-tight and resistant to water jets) and its premium hoods are described in the catalog as oil and water repellent and cleanable; the X-plore 8000 Decon belt is listed for decontamination. The North RU8500 half mask includes a speech diaphragm (product sheet).
North cartridges and filters whose chart entry covers it
| Part number | Item | Version | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7580P100 | North 7580P100 P100 Filters, Pack of 2 P100 particulate filter (99.97% minimum filter efficiency) for all particulates; label Magenta | $8.91 | ||
| 75FFP100 | North 75FFP100 Flexible Low-Profile P100 Filters, Pack of 2 Low profile P100 particulate filter (99.97% minimum filter efficiency) for all particulates; label Magenta | $8.29 | ||
| 75FFP100NL | North 75FFP100NL Flexible Low-Profile P100 Filters with Odor Relief, Pack of 2 Low profile P100 particulate filter (99.97% minimum filter efficiency) for all particulates; with odor relief from nuisa; label Magenta | $12.99 | ||
| 7506N95 | North 7506N95 N95 Pad Filters, Pack of 10 N95 non-oil particulate filter (95% minimum filter efficiency) for non-oil based aerosol particulates; label — | $14.49 | ||
| 7506N99 | North 7506N99 N99 Pad Filters, Pack of 10 N99 particulate filter (99% minimum filter efficiency) for non-oil based aerosol particulates; label — | $21.99 | ||
| 7506R95 | North 7506R95 R95 Pad Filters, Pack of 10 R95 particulate filter (95% minimum filter efficiency). The chart notes R class filters are limited to 8 hours of use in; label — | $34.99 | ||
| 7581P100L | North 7581P100L Organic Vapor (OV) Cartridge with P100 Filter Organic Vapor, with a P100 particulate filter (99.97% minimum filter efficiency) for all particulates; label Black and Magenta | $25.49 | ||
| 7582P100L | North 7582P100L Acid Gas (AG) Cartridge with P100 Filter Acid Gas (Chlorine, Hydrogen Chloride, Sulfur Dioxide, Hydrogen Fluoride, Chlorine Dioxide) and Formaldehyde, with a P10; label White and Magenta | $31.49 | ||
| 7583P100L | North 7583P100L Organic Vapor and Acid Gas (OV/AG) Cartridge with P100 Filter Organic Vapor and Acid Gas (Chlorine, Hydrogen Chloride, Sulfur Dioxide, Hydrogen Fluoride, Hydrogen Sulfide, Chlorine D; label Yellow and Magenta | $26.99 | ||
| 7584P100L | North 7584P100L Ammonia and Methylamine Cartridge with P100 Filter Ammonia and Methylamine, with a P100 particulate filter (99.97% minimum filter efficiency) for all particulates; label Green and Magenta | $32.99 | ||
| 75852P100L | North 75852P100L Mercury Vapor and Chlorine Cartridge with ESLI and P100 Filter Mercury Vapor and Chlorine, with End-of-Service-Life Indicator (ESLI) for Mercury Vapor, with a P100 particulate filter ; label Olive and Magenta | $64.99 | ||
| 7586P100L | North 7586P100L Nitrogen Dioxide Cartridge with P100 Filter Nitrogen Dioxide, with a P100 particulate filter; label — | $43.99 | ||
| 75SCP100L | North 75SCP100L Defender Multi-Contaminant Cartridge with P100 Filter Organic Vapor, Ammonia, Methylamine, Formaldehyde and Acid Gas (Chlorine, Hydrogen Chloride, Sulfur Dioxide, Hydrogen Su; label Olive and Magenta | $30.99 | ||
| N75001L | North N75001L Organic Vapor (OV) Cartridge Organic Vapor; label Black | $15.49 | ||
| N75003L | North N75003L Organic Vapor and Acid Gas (OV/AG) Cartridge Organic Vapor and Acid Gas (Chlorine, Hydrogen Chloride, Sulfur Dioxide, Hydrogen Fluoride, Hydrogen Sulfide, Chlorine D; label Yellow | $16.49 | ||
| 75SCL | North 75SCL Defender Multi-Gas Vapor Cartridge Organic Vapor, Ammonia, Methylamine, Formaldehyde and Acid Gas (Chlorine, Hydrogen Chloride, Sulfur Dioxide, Hydrogen Su; label Olive | $16.99 | ||
| N75002L | North N75002L Acid Gas (AG) Cartridge Acid Gas (Chlorine, Hydrogen Chloride, Sulfur Dioxide, Hydrogen Fluoride, Chlorine Dioxide) and Formaldehyde; label White | $17.49 |
Source: North Cartridge & Filter Reference Chart; NIOSH approval labels (PIP).
North facepieces
Source: North product sheets (PIP).
North disposable respirators
Source: PIP Rich Product Data, October 2026.
Dräger filters listed for it
Source: Dräger Guide for Selection and Use of Respiratory Filtering Devices, NIOSH (DMC-104642); Dräger X-plore Bayonet Filters NIOSH product information (DMC-109824); Dräger X-plore 8000 product information (DMC-102510).
Dräger masks
Source: Dräger Product Catalog, Industrial Applications (DMC-107423).
Dräger X-plore 8000 PAPR blowers
| Part number | Item | Version | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R59500 | Draeger R59500 X-plore 8500 (IP) PAPR Blower Unit | $762.01 | ||
| R59550 | Draeger R59550 X-plore 8700 (EX) PAPR Blower Unit | $1259.70 |
Source: Dräger X-plore 8000 product information (DMC-102510).
Dräger disposable respirators
Source: Dräger X-plore 1300 NIOSH product information (DMC-109830).
Assigned protection factor
| Respirator type (OSHA Table 1) | APF |
|---|---|
| Filtering facepiece (air-purifying half mask) | 10 |
| Air-purifying half mask | 10 |
| Air-purifying full facepiece | 50 |
| Powered air-purifying helmet/hood (manufacturer-tested to APF 1,000) | 1000 |
| Powered air-purifying full facepiece | 1000 |
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 Table 1 (Assigned Protection Factors). The APF applies only when the respirator is used in a program that meets the standard, including fit testing of tight-fitting facepieces (29 CFR 1910.134(f)) and a cartridge change schedule (29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)).
Guides: half mask vs full facepiece · assigned protection factors · cartridge change schedules · P100 vs N95 vs R95 · what OSHA requires for fit testing · cleaning and storing respirators.
Respirators for Pharmaceutical and Food Processing questions
Which PAPR is washable? The Dräger X-plore 8500 (IP) blower is rated IP65 (dust-tight and resistant to water jets from all sides) per the product information; the premium hoods can be cleaned and disinfected (catalog).