Wet air scrubbers use seawater or freshwater as cleaning media for sulfur dioxide. They are utilized by shipping companies to comply with emissions regulations. Shipping emissions are expected to rise considerably, in parallel with a growing focus on the sustainability and ecological effects of the maritime transport industry. Gas and particulate emissions into the atmosphere affect the ocean surface directly and indirectly through the deposition and dissolution of gases, as well as radiative forcing effects on the climate. A close collaboration between natural and social scientists is crucial for progress toward sustainable shipping and protection of the marine environment. In the last decades, global and regional efforts to reduce the environmental impact of ship emissions have been made.

Wet scrubbers are economical and favored substitutes for expensive, low-sulfur fuel. Scrubber technology primarily removes SOx (SO, SO₂, SO₃, S₆O₂, S₂O₂), NOx (NO, NO₂), and particles to some degree.

Wet air scrubbers use seawater or freshwater as cleaning media for sulfur dioxide (SOx) producing sulfurous acid, sulfuric acid, and calcium sulfate. In contact with finely dispersed water, SO₂ dissolves and is removed from the exhaust gas. Three types of wet scrubbers are commonly used:

• Open-loop scrubbing systems

In open-loop scrubbers, the water flow rate into the scrubber depends on the alkalinity in the seawater. A higher flow rate is necessary for effective scrubbing in areas with low pH buffering capacity (for example, in the Baltic Sea). Water temperature also has an impact on the efficiency of open-loop scrubbers, as higher temperatures reduce the solubility of SO₂.

• Closed-loop scrubbing systems

Closed-loop scrubbers use fresh water in a circuit supplemented with sodium hydroxide. These scrubbing systems can operate for short periods without any discharge.

• Hybrid systems

These systems can switch between the open and closed wet system modes of operation.

The use of wet air scrubbers in the shipping industry has benefited the environment by significantly reducing the release of pollutants into the atmosphere. Nonetheless, the effects of scrubber wash water discharge and the related marine biological consequences are not fully understood. Direct emission monitoring on ships is crucial to improving spatial and temporal measurements of pollutants along shipping lanes and in ports to gain a comprehensive understanding of shipping-related pollution and the effect of emission reduction technologies.

If you are looking for the best air treatment device to improve air quality, Redwood Technology offers a cutting-edge type of wet scrubber – a Multi-Vortex wet air scrubber.

Redwood technology is a fast-growing vendor of wet air scrubbers. The multi-vortex scrubber can remove gas emissions, dust, vapors, and other pollutants from a gas stream. It is an innovative technology created to save water that makes it more cost-efficient and differs from other types of scrubbers.  If you have any questions or would like to purchase a multi-vortex wet air scrubber, please contact us at info@rdwd.tech