Recently, a tech company incubated by the Research Management Department at Changzhou Industrial Technology Research Institute of Zhejiang University launched its newly developed smog-proof graphene mask.

The protective mask can provide 96.4 percent filtration against particle matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and has a 99.8 percent anti-bacterial rate against E. coli, theScience and Technology Dailyreported.

The mask uses a functional graphene non-woven filter, which can catch particulate matter by leveraging the graphene’s particle-absorbing ability with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, said Xue Chi, director of the Research Management Department at Changzhou Industrial Technology Research Institute of Zhejiang University, which develops the mask. Graphene itself is an effective protector against bacteria, he added.

Though graphene is expensive, the small amount of graphene used in the masks keep costs low for consumers, Xue added. These masks are already in mass-production and cost CNY29.9 (USD4.3).