Postdoctoral dad develops anti-smog mask for kids  

[File photo：chinadaily.com.cn]

(ECNS) -- A father doing postdoctoral research at Tsinghua University has set up a volunteer group to develop an anti-smog mask for children, as no masks are available for his three-year-old daughter, the Beijing News reported.

Hou Yanlin, the postdoctoral fellow, said his daughter longed to play outside even on heavy smog days.

Hou said he once adapted a mask to fit his daughter's face, but she "wouldn't put it back on after wearing it for several minutes. It was uncomfortable and made her look she had a beak."

Last December, Hou recruited a group of volunteers from among his friends, most of whom have the same problem.

They have finished a preliminary design, which will undergo clinical testing until the end of this month.

Hou said they will apply for a patent and manufacture and sell the masks through crowdfunding. They also plan to manage the program as a non-profit organization.