Introduction to air treatments

The media has reported on the various meetings and findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) regarding global warming and climate change caused by significant amounts of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. It is worth noting that the IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for its work and efforts. The evolution of the ozone hole [1] caused by emissions of volatile organic compounds has been widely covered by the press, radio, and television. Warnings about ozone concentrations in cities during the summer have raised public awareness of pollution caused by transportation. In general, these concepts of “air pollution”—mostly caused by transportation, industrial, agricultural, or domestic activities—are now widely understood by the general public. In everyday environments, noise and air quality have the greatest impact on people. Indeed, dust, odors, and the like are highly disliked and considered genuine nuisances that must be addressed.

This combination of factors prompted the international community to take action. Politicians made commitments at global conferences, and measures followed at the national level to control and reduce pollutant emissions. One notable example is the Geneva Protocol of November 1991, signed by 21 countries. Building on this, the fight against rising greenhouse gas emissions was formalized through the Rio Convention in June 1992. Although challenges remain—as evidenced by the events at the 1997 conferences in New York and Tokyo, the 2000 conference in The Hague, or, more recently, the IPCC meetings, European directives transposed into French law in the form of ministerial decrees, such as that of February 2, 1998, amended by the decree of May 29, 2000, are currently in effect (see the Regulations section [Doc. G 1 700v2] ). To supplement this list of international protocols and conventions, Figure 1 in the “Further Reading” section [Doc. G 1 700v2] outlines some key milestones regarding climate change and air quality. These regulatory obligations, stemming from a collective awareness of the relationship between health/well-being and air pollution, have led to the implementation of technologies for the treatment of gaseous emissions.

This article begins by presenting a broad overview of the various pollutants emitted naturally or as a result of human activities, along with their impacts on both human health and the environment. These findings naturally lead to a consideration of emission treatment options aimed at reducing pollution levels...