Advantages and limitations of wet scrubbing in industrial hygiene

In industrial effluent or in workplace atmospheres, it is frequent to observe the combined presence of gaseous and of particulate pollutants. For example, sectors such as waste electrical and electronic equipment treatment, composting, or wood panel processing encounter this problem. Although little studied at INRS, wet scrubbers enable air containing both particles and gas to be treated in a single item of equipment. The scope for application of wet scrubbing is vast and an exhaustive study is inconceivable. An approach based on studying one or possibly two clearly identified industrial issues involving a source of particulate and gaseous emissions would seem more realistic.

The research work conducted in the study will be based on an experimental approach coupled with a simulation approach. The experimental approach will consist in proposing the wet scrubber that is best suited to treating particulate and gaseous emissions that can be encountered, for example, in one or more of the following sectors: waste electrical and electronic equipment treatment, composting, and wood panel processing. The experimental part will also make it possible to validate and to consolidate a numerical model dedicated to predicting the effectiveness of particle and gas collection by liquid drops.

The simulation work will be performed in part through an academic thesis. Conducted using a demonstrator, this study should highlight methodology making it possible to define the advantages and limitations of wet scrubbing and to broaden application of that technique to other work situations in which co-exposure of the gas and particle type has been observed.

Planned dissemination: scientific publications, thesis