Cost-effective technologies used to curb air pollution.

Abstract Attention to the air-pollution problem is being given by the scientific community and overall global community because of the scale of its impact on human health, the living environment and climate change. Efforts to reduce air pollution have stepped up in various parts of the world. In general, technology plays a significant role in dealing with air pollution and other environmental problems faced by every section of society. In this chapter, various available technologies to curb air pollution are discussed with a focus on some cost-effective technologies. The use of air-pollutant control technologies depends upon regulatory compliance and cost-effectiveness. In the present scenario, most of the commercially available technologies, such as electrostatic precipitator (ESP), scrubs and cyclone, are efficient, but the economical operation is still questionable because the available effective pollution control technologies are not always economically viable and environmentally sound. The cost-effectiveness of any technology also varies with the level of operation, the nature of the pollutant and achievable regulatory compliance, and requires an assessment of its potential today and in the future. Some emerging cost-effective and economically viable technologies are being processed and some are at a developmental stage, such as biofiltration, phytoremediation and carbon capture technologies, which have shown potential to curb atmospheric air pollutants. In this chapter, some recent and cost-effective technologies will be discussed, although some technologies are still in the infancy stage and have limited efficiency which requires further research and development to commercially exploit these emerging technologies.