Which type of respirator delivers filtered room air to the facepiece with a small blower?

• A. Negative Pressure Air Purifying Respirator
• B. Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR)
• C. Supplied Air Respirator
• D. Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how air is delivered to the wearer and how a blower changes that delivery. A powered air-purifying respirator uses a small motor-driven blower to pull ambient air through a filter and push the cleaned air into the facepiece or hood. This creates positive pressure inside the mask and delivers filtered room air directly to the wearer, improving fit and reducing the chance of ingress of contaminants.

This differs from a negative-pressure respirator, which relies on the user’s inhalation to draw air through filters without any blower supplying air to the facepiece. It also differs from a supplied-air respirator, which provides breathing air from an external source but not necessarily filtered by the device itself. And it’s not a self-contained breathing apparatus, which carries its own air supply in a cylinder rather than drawing from room air.