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.