Abstract: Disposable dust masks serve as the last line of defense against pneumoconiosis for coal miners in China.However, masks made from petroleum-based materials require 400 to 500 years to fully degrade, posing serious adverse effects on both the ecological environment of mining areas and human health.This study provides a comprehensive review from four main aspects: research on biodegradable filter materials, the current state of development of biodegradable dust masks, a survey of commercially available biodegradable masks, and the evaluation standards for mask protection performance and degradability.The review identifies several key issues: existing research often stops at the membrane material stage; performance evaluations of these membrane materials and the few self-developed biodegradable masks are incomplete; research on biodegradable filter cotton and PAPR (Powered Air-Purifying Respirator) filter cartridges is scarce; commercially available biodegradable masks lack unified certification; and significant gaps remain in the evaluation standards for biodegradable masks both domestically and internationally.Finally, corresponding suggestions are proposed to address these issues.