MSA GME Cartridge Review: The Multigas Option
MSA GME Cartridge Review: The Multigas Option — the short answer
Short answer: The MSA GME is the multigas cartridge — and the word multigas is doing less work than it looks like, because the approval names a specific list. The reviewed listing is live here; MSA lists hydrogen sulfide on this cartridge for escape only, which is a different duty entirely from working in it. Everything in this family is used under OSHA 1910.134, which means a written program, a medical evaluation before use, an annual model-specific fit test, and no air-purifying respirator in an IDLH or oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Covers an enumerated nine-gas list in one cartridge — chlorine, sulfur dioxide, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen chloride, ammonia, methylamine, formaldehyde and hydrogen fluoride — which is genuinely broad for a single sorbent.
- Removes the need to stock and swap several single-hazard cartridges where a site has a mixed inorganic gas profile.
- The lowest per-unit cost in the MSA Comfo gas cartridge range.
- Threads onto the MSA Comfo facepiece range without any adapter.
Cons
- MSA lists hydrogen sulfide on this cartridge for ESCAPE ONLY, not sustained work — the single most important qualifier on the page, and easy to miss in a nine-gas headline.
- No organic vapor sorbent. Solvents and hydrocarbons pass through, so a solvent exposure needs the GMC or GMA side of the range.
- No particulate protection, and nothing for carbon monoxide.
- No end-of-service-life indicator, so a change schedule based on objective data is mandatory under 1910.134(d)(3)(iii).
Is the MSA 492790 GME the right multi-gas cartridge for mixed inorganic gas environments?
Published · Last updated
Short answer: Yes — when your hazard assessment documents two or more inorganic reactive gases and no organic vapor or particulate co-exposure. The MSA 492790 GME covers nine inorganic and reactive gases — chlorine, sulfur dioxide, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methylamine, formaldehyde, and hydrogen fluoride — in a single sorbent cartridge without an integrated P100 layer. That combination makes it the right selection for wastewater treatment, water treatment, chemical manufacturing, and emergency response to inorganic gas releases where particulate is not a simultaneous hazard. If your documented hazards also include respirable particulates, step directly to the MSA 815182 GME-P100. If your hazards include organic vapors or solvents, neither the GME nor GME-P100 is sufficient — you need a different cartridge series entirely.
The MSA 492790 GME is the broadest inorganic/reactive gas cartridge in MSA's Comfo-platform GM-series lineup — nine distinct chemical approvals under NIOSH 42 CFR Part 84 in a single bayonet-mount sorbent cartridge. Sold in boxes of 10 at its listed price (its listed price per cartridge as listed — verify current price before ordering), it is one of the most cost-efficient ways to address a mixed inorganic gas hazard on the Comfo platform. This review examines the GME's nine-gas coverage in detail, explains the critical distinction versus the GMD (alkaline gas only) and GME-P100 (same gas coverage plus P100), and identifies the facility types and job tasks where the GME is the right pick — and where it is not.
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Editorial verdict — MSA 492790 GME: 4.4/5
The MSA 492790 GME delivers nine-gas inorganic coverage at a remarkably low per-unit cost — the right cartridge when your written hazard assessment documents multiple reactive gases and no particulate or organic vapor co-exposure. The 0.6-point deduction reflects the absence of an ESLI, no particulate protection, and zero organic vapor coverage — three hard limits that are easy to misjudge if the hazard assessment isn't specific.
Strengths
Nine NIOSH-approved inorganic/reactive gas chemistries in a single cartridge · Lowest per-unit cost in the Comfo gas cartridge range at its listed price/cartridge · Covers both acid gases (Cl₂, SO₂, HCl, HF) and alkaline gases (NH₃, methylamine) — the widest reactive-gas spectrum in the GM-series · Compatible with full Comfo half-mask and full-face platform · Correct pick when hazard assessment is multi-gas inorganic with no particulate
Nine NIOSH-approved inorganic/reactive gas chemistries in a single cartridge · Lowest per-unit cost in the Comfo gas cartridge range at its listed price/cartridge · Covers both acid gases (Cl₂, SO₂, HCl, HF) and alkaline gases (NH₃, methylamine) — the widest reactive-gas spectrum in the GM-series · Compatible with full Comfo half-mask and full-face platform · Correct pick when hazard assessment is multi-gas inorganic with no particulate
Weaknesses
Zero organic vapor protection — solvents, VOCs, hydrocarbons pass through unfiltered · No integrated P100 — requires separate filter disc for particulate hazards · No ESLI — written change-out schedule is mandatory · Gas-only; GME-P100 is the correct step-up for dust/aerosol co-exposure · Proprietary Comfo bayonet — not compatible with Advantage snap-on, 3M, or Moldex platforms
Zero organic vapor protection — solvents, VOCs, hydrocarbons pass through unfiltered · No integrated P100 — requires separate filter disc for particulate hazards · No ESLI — written change-out schedule is mandatory · Gas-only; GME-P100 is the correct step-up for dust/aerosol co-exposure · Proprietary Comfo bayonet — not compatible with Advantage snap-on, 3M, or Moldex platforms
What the MSA 492790 GME does well
Nine-gas inorganic coverage: the broadest single sorbent in the GM-series
The MSA 492790 GME is NIOSH-approved under 42 CFR Part 84 against nine distinct inorganic and reactive gas chemistries: chlorine (Cl₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), ammonia (NH₃), methylamine (CH₃NH₂), formaldehyde (HCHO), and hydrogen fluoride (HF). No other single sorbent cartridge in the MSA Comfo GM-series covers this full list in one unit. The chemical breadth matters most in facilities where the hazard profile is wide-spectrum inorganic — wastewater treatment, water treatment, and pulp-and-paper operations are canonical examples. A single GME cartridge satisfies the hazard assessment without requiring cartridge-specific engineering controls or chemical-by-chemical selection justification.
The key advantage over the GMD: acid gas + alkaline gas in one sorbent
The MSA 464033 GMD covers only alkaline gases (NH₃ and methylamine). The MSA GMB acid gas cartridge covers acid gases but not alkaline gases. The GME uniquely spans both categories — it is the appropriate choice wherever the hazard assessment documents both acid-type and alkaline-type gases co-existing, such as wastewater treatment where chlorine (acid) and ammonia (alkaline) are both present. This dual-polarity coverage in a single sorbent is the GME's defining technical advantage within the GM-series family.
Exceptional per-unit cost for nine-gas coverage
At approximately its listed price per cartridge (as listed — verify current price before ordering), the MSA 492790 GME is one of the most cost-efficient multi-gas cartridges on the Comfo platform. For operations that require frequent cartridge changes due to high chemical concentrations or short shift-based replacement schedules, the per-unit economics of the GME make it meaningfully easier to maintain a compliant, practical change-out program than higher-cost alternatives. The gas-only configuration (no P100 layer) keeps manufacturing cost and unit price low where particulate protection is not needed.
Formaldehyde coverage — important for multi-chemistry lab and process environments
The GME's approval against formaldehyde (HCHO) distinguishes it from most acid-gas-only cartridges. In wastewater treatment and chemical manufacturing environments where formaldehyde appears alongside inorganic acid gases, a single GME covers both categories. This is worth calling out because formaldehyde is a IARC Group 1 carcinogen (confirmed human carcinogen) and an OSHA regulated substance under 29 CFR 1910.1048 — correct cartridge selection for formaldehyde exposure is a compliance requirement, not just a best practice.
Where the MSA 492790 GME falls short
Zero organic vapor protection — the most common misselection risk
The GME sorbent contains no activated carbon for organic vapor capture. Solvents, petroleum distillates, ketones, esters, aromatic hydrocarbons, and other VOCs pass through the GME cartridge unimpeded. In facilities where both organic vapors and inorganic gases co-exist — common in mixed chemical manufacturing, labs using both solvents and inorganic acids, and water treatment operations that also use organic coagulants — the GME is an incorrect and dangerous selection. The MSA GMC (OV+acid gas) or MSA GMC-P100 addresses OV + acid gas combinations, though it does not carry the full nine-gas inorganic breadth. Consult your industrial hygienist when both OV and inorganic gas hazards appear in the same work zone.
No integrated P100 — separate particulate filter required for dust/aerosol co-exposure
When particulate is present alongside inorganic gas hazards, the GME alone is insufficient. The correct upgrade is the MSA 815182 GME-P100, which provides the identical nine-gas sorbent coverage with an integrated P100 filter at its listed price per cartridge. In wastewater treatment operations where aeration creates biosolid aerosols, or in chemical plants where reactive gas releases co-occur with dust from solid handling, the GME-P100 is the more protective and operationally simpler choice. The GME's separate-filter-stacking approach (adding a MSA Low Profile P100 filter to a gas-only GME) increases assembly complexity and creates an additional maintenance item to track.
No ESLI — written change-out schedule is mandatory
The GME has no end-of-service-life indicator. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii), a respirator program cannot rely on odor or taste for cartridge change-out at all — 1910.134(d)(3)(iii) requires an ESLI or an objective-data change schedule for every gas and vapor cartridge, whatever its warning properties. Several chemicals the GME covers — chlorine dioxide, hydrogen fluoride, formaldehyde — can cause serious respiratory damage before breakthrough concentrations are reliably detected by smell. A written, validated change-out schedule or per-shift replacement policy is not optional; it is a regulatory requirement when using this cartridge in any compliant program.
H₂S coverage noted as "escape only" in some applications
Hydrogen sulfide coverage on many combination sorbent cartridges, including some GM-series variants, may be limited to escape concentrations rather than sustained work duration at elevated H₂S TWA levels. Where hydrogen sulfide is a primary documented hazard at higher concentrations, confirm the GME's approved service life against the documented H₂S concentration with the NIOSH approval certificate and MSA technical data before specifying — do not assume full-duration protection.
MSA 492790 GME vs comparable multi-gas inorganic cartridges
| Cartridge | 9-Gas inorganic? | OV coverage? | P100? | Specialty | ~Price/unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSA 492790 GME | ✓ | — | — | Gas only | ~$2.45 |
| MSA 815182 GME-P100 | ✓ | — | ✓ | Same 9 gases + P100 | $31.57 |
| MSA 806059 GMT | ✓ (similar) | — | — | + Tritium sorbent | $39.47 |
| 3M 6006 Multi-Gas | ✓ (similar) | ✓ (adds OV) | — | OV + inorganic gas, 3M platform | See site |
Key comparison note: The 3M 6006 adds organic vapor coverage that the MSA GME lacks — if OV is in your documented hazard profile, the 3M 6006 (on 3M platform) or MSA GMC (on Comfo platform) is more appropriate. The MSA GMT adds a tritium-specific sorbent for nuclear/radiological applications not present in the GME.
MSA GME on Amazon → MSA GME-P100 on Amazon → 3M 6006 on Amazon →
Frequently asked questions: MSA 492790 GME
What gases does the MSA 492790 GME protect against?
The MSA 492790 GME is NIOSH-approved under 42 CFR Part 84 against nine inorganic and reactive gas chemistries: chlorine (Cl₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), ammonia (NH₃), methylamine (CH₃NH₂), formaldehyde (HCHO), and hydrogen fluoride (HF). It does not protect against organic vapors, carbon monoxide, mercury vapor, radioiodine, or particulates.
MSA GME vs MSA GMD — what is the difference?
The MSA GMD covers only alkaline gases — ammonia and methylamine. The MSA 492790 GME covers nine gases including both alkaline (NH₃, methylamine) and acid/reactive (Cl₂, SO₂, HCl, HF, ClO₂, H₂S) chemistries, plus formaldehyde. When your hazard assessment documents only ammonia or methylamine, the GMD is the more targeted and typically lower-cost choice. When the hazard profile includes chlorine, sulfur compounds, or other inorganic gases in addition to ammonia, the GME is the correct selection. See the MSA GMD review for the gas-only ammonia option and the MSA GMD-P100 review for the particulate version.
Does the MSA GME protect against organic vapors?
No. The GME contains no activated carbon or OV sorbent. Organic vapors, solvents, petroleum distillates, and VOCs are not captured. This is the GME's most important limitation — facilities with organic vapor co-exposure require a different cartridge. On the MSA Comfo platform, the MSA GMC provides OV + acid gas coverage, though its inorganic gas breadth does not match the full nine-gas GME list.
MSA GME vs MSA GME-P100 — when should I choose each?
Choose the MSA 492790 GME when your documented hazards are limited to the nine inorganic gases listed and no respirable particulate or aerosol exposure is present. Choose the MSA 815182 GME-P100 when particulate or aerosol is also documented — it provides the identical nine-gas sorbent coverage with an integrated P100 filter. Read the full MSA GME-P100 review before specifying in mixed gas + particulate environments. The GME-P100 costs its listed price per cartridge versus ~its listed price for the GME — the premium is only warranted when particulate protection is genuinely needed.
Is the MSA 492790 GME NIOSH-approved?
Yes. The MSA 492790 GME is NIOSH-approved under 42 CFR Part 84 for the listed nine gas chemistries. Verify the current approval certificate and TC-number on the NIOSH NPPTL Certified Equipment List before specifying for a written respiratory protection program.
What is the GTIN for the MSA 492790 GME?
Use these values when verifying against the NIOSH CEL or entering into procurement systems.
Can I add a P100 filter to the MSA GME to get particulate protection?
The MSA Comfo platform does support separate P100 filter discs (such as the MSA Low Profile P100 filter) that can be mounted with compatible retainers on gas-only cartridges. However, the integrated approach — using the MSA 815182 GME-P100 — is simpler, eliminates assembly error risk, and is the MSA-recommended configuration for combined gas + particulate protection on the Comfo platform.
What respirators is the MSA 492790 GME compatible with?
The GME uses the MSA GM bayonet mount and is compatible with: MSA Comfo Classic (half-mask), MSA Comfo II (half-mask), MSA Ultra-Elite (full-face), and MSA Ultra-Twin (full-face). It is not compatible with MSA Advantage snap-on facepieces, 3M bayonet facepieces, or Moldex facepieces.
Is the MSA GME appropriate for wastewater treatment operations?
Yes — wastewater treatment is one of the GME's primary applications. Wastewater operations typically involve documented exposure to ammonia (from biological treatment and decomposition), hydrogen sulfide (from anaerobic zones), chlorine (from disinfection), and potentially SO₂ and HCl from chemical treatment steps. The GME's nine-gas coverage addresses all of these in a single cartridge. However, if biosolid aerosols or respirable dust are also present in the work zone, the MSA GME-P100 is the more complete specification.
MSA GME vs 3M 6006 — which is better?
The 3M 6006 adds organic vapor coverage that the MSA 492790 GME lacks — a meaningful advantage in facilities where VOC co-exposure exists alongside inorganic gas hazards. However, the 3M 6006 uses 3M's bayonet mount and is only compatible with 3M facepieces; it cannot be used with MSA Comfo or Advantage platform respirators. The choice between them is primarily a platform decision (3M vs MSA facepiece) combined with a hazard assessment decision (OV present vs not). If OV is not in the documented hazard profile and you are running an MSA Comfo program, the GME is the correct and more economical selection.
Does the MSA GME protect against formaldehyde?
Yes. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is one of the nine gases covered by the MSA 492790 GME sorbent. This is important for facilities handling formaldehyde-generating processes or products — wastewater treatment, anatomy labs, certain manufacturing processes — where formaldehyde may co-exist with other inorganic gas hazards. Note that formaldehyde is an OSHA-regulated substance under 29 CFR 1910.1048 and a IARC Group 1 carcinogen; correct cartridge selection for formaldehyde exposure is a compliance requirement.
How does the MSA GME handle the no-ESLI requirement under OSHA?
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii) requires a written change-out schedule when a cartridge lacks an ESLI (as the GME does) unless the cartridge is replaced after each use. Programs using the GME must either implement per-shift/per-use replacement or develop a validated change-out schedule based on chemical concentrations, work duration, humidity, and work rate using an accepted engineering method (e.g., Wood's equation or supplier-provided service life data).
What a “multi-gas” cartridge does and does not cover
MSA’s letter codes name a specific approved list, not a general capability. The GMA is organic vapor; GMB acid gas; GMC organic vapor plus acid gas; GMD ammonia and methylamine; and the multi-gas GME and GMT cover a broader but still enumerated set. “Multi-gas” never means “any gas”. Each approval names the substances, and several carry qualifiers that matter more than the headline — MSA lists hydrogen sulfide on the GME for escape only, which is a different duty entirely from working in it.
Two limits apply no matter which letter is on the cartridge. No air-purifying cartridge removes carbon monoxide. CO is not adsorbed by the sorbents used in these cartridges, so a CO hazard is answered by ventilation, monitoring, and supplied air — never by a cartridge, whatever its multi-gas designation. And a gas or vapor cartridge does nothing for particulate: dust, fume, mist and lead need a particulate filter, which is why the combination parts exist. Read the approved-substance list for the exact part number against your air monitoring, and where the contaminant or its concentration is unknown, the answer is not a broader cartridge — it is measurement, or supplied air.
These cartridges only fit MSA facepieces
Cartridge connections are proprietary. MSA Advantage and Comfo cartridges thread onto MSA facepieces and nothing else — they do not fit 3M bayonet respirators, Honeywell North, or Moldex, and no adapter makes that combination approved. This matters beyond convenience, because a NIOSH approval covers a complete assembly: a specific facepiece with specific media. Mixing a cartridge from one manufacturer onto another’s facepiece voids the approval even if the parts physically engage, which means the respirator is no longer NIOSH-approved equipment for the purposes of OSHA 1910.134.
The practical rule when restocking: match the cartridge to the facepiece brand first, then to the hazard. Confirm the approval covering your exact combination on the NIOSH Certified Equipment List rather than from a listing, and check the letter designation printed on the cartridge against what your hazard assessment calls for. Where a program runs more than one brand of facepiece, the stores that go with each need to be physically separated — the most common way the wrong cartridge reaches a face is a shared bin.
When to change a cartridge — and why “when I smell it” is not the answer
OSHA 1910.134(d)(3)(iii) is explicit: where gas or vapor cartridges are used, the employer must either fit them with an End of Service Life Indicator approved for the contaminant, or implement a change schedule based on objective information or data that ensures cartridges are replaced before the end of their service life. Relying on odor, taste, or irritation as the primary signal is not one of the permitted options, and the reason is straightforward: many contaminants have poor warning properties, individual sensitivity varies widely, and by the time a vapor is detectable inside the facepiece the breakthrough has already happened.
Mercury is the sharpest illustration. Mercury vapor has no odor at all, which is exactly why NIOSH-approved mercury cartridges carry a colorimetric ESLI — the indicator changes color as the sorbent loads, giving the wearer a visible end-of-service signal that a nose cannot provide. Particulate filters follow a different rule: they load rather than break through, so the practical trigger is increased breathing resistance, along with damage, soiling, or contamination of the filter. Replace a particulate filter when it becomes harder to breathe through, and never wash or attempt to clean filter media.
What has to be in place before anyone wears this
A respirator is the one piece of PPE that comes with a program attached. Where respirators are required, OSHA 1910.134 obliges the employer to run a written respiratory protection program with a named administrator, and four elements govern whether the equipment on this page will actually protect the person wearing it.
Medical evaluation comes first. Under 1910.134(e), a worker must be medically evaluated — using the Appendix C questionnaire or an equivalent examination — before fit testing or use, because breathing through a respirator imposes real physiological load. Fit testing is annual and model-specific under 1910.134(f): a passing test on one make, model and size does not transfer to another, so changing facepiece or size means testing again. Facial hair that crosses the sealing surface prohibits use — this is not a grooming preference but a seal failure, and no amount of strap tension compensates. And a user seal check goes on every single donning, per Appendix B-1, which takes seconds and is the only check that happens at the moment of use. Cartridge and filter selection follows from air monitoring and a hazard assessment; where the contaminant or its concentration is unknown, the answer is not a better cartridge.
The rest of the MSA cartridge system
Because the facepiece and the media are bought separately, the useful comparisons run across the range. For single hazards we review the organic vapor GMA, the acid gas GMB, and the ammonia and methylamine GMD. For combined hazards there is the GMC and the multi-gas GME and GMT. Where dust is also present, the 815177 low-profile P100 handles particulate alone and the 815178 GMA-P100 combines organic vapor with P100 in one cartridge. The facepieces sit under MSA half mask respirators and MSA full face respirators, with the media under MSA respirator filters and cartridges.
Why trust WC Safety
WC Safety is an independent, affiliate-supported review site. We hold no inventory, sell nothing directly, and earn only from qualifying purchases made through clearly marked links — which never changes what a cartridge is approved to do. Reviews are compiled by Steven Eaton from MSA’s published technical data, the NIOSH approval record, the live listing, and the standards themselves (42 CFR 84, OSHA 1910.134) linked throughout. We hold no laboratory and run no breakthrough or fit testing, and we publish no customer-rating aggregate for any product, because we have no customers to aggregate. Where the published record is silent we say so rather than fill the gap.
Our methodology
This review is compiled from MSA’s published cartridge literature, the NIOSH approval record, the live listing, and the regulatory text. The score is an editorial judgment of approval fit, facepiece compatibility, hazard coverage and value — not a measured result, not a breakthrough test, and not an average of user ratings. Approved substances and the approval number for your exact part should be confirmed on the NIOSH Certified Equipment List and on the cartridge itself; where a listing and an approval disagree, the approval governs.
Researched and written by Steven Eaton, editor of WC Safety. Steven holds no safety certification and does not test products; this page compares what manufacturers publish, with the gaps in that record marked. Last reviewed July 2026.
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