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A scrubber is a technology used in air pollution control to remove contaminants from air or industrial exhaust gases. There are two main types:

  • Scrubbing towers are used for carbon capture. They funnel air into a confined space and spray it with chemicals like sodium hydroxide. These chemicals react with carbon dioxide (CO2) to form precipitates that can be stored.1
  • Wet scrubbers are used to remove particulates and gases. They trap suspended particles by direct contact with a liquid spray, effectively washing them out of the airstream. They can also be used for gas absorption, where a gaseous pollutant is transferred from the air into a contacting liquid.23

Scrubbers are employed in various industrial settings, including power plants and chemical facilities, to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions.23

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