A Wet-Scrubber to Reduce Dust and Odor Emissions

Dust particles, especially the ones larger than 5 microns, are major contributors to the odor from livestock facilities.  Odor molecules attached to a particle can be transported for long distance.   Therefore, reducing dust emissions will have a major impact on odor reduction.

Preliminary studies funded by the Illinois Pork Producers Association and the National Pork Producers Council have shown that a wet scrubber system incorporated with exhaust ventilation fans, shows promise for removing the particulates in the exhaust air and reducing odor emissions.  During the operation of the wet scrubber system, water is sprayed into the fan exhaust to impinge with the particulates.

A special water collection system is then used to remove the water and particulates before they escape into the atmosphere (Figure).  This has been done without significantly reducing the airflow performance and energy efficiency of the fans.  Water requirements have also been low.

More research is needed to develop a second generation of the wet scrubber system, which would be more practical in commercial applications.  We have plans for a different water collection system, which would improve fan performance, water collection efficiency and fan operation under windy conditions.  New prototypes would be developed and tested in the laboratory then attached directly to the exhaust fans on a swine finishing building at the Swine Research Center at UIUC.  One of the swine finishing buildings has two identical rooms.  The odor scrubber treatment would be applied to the exhaust fans from one of the rooms.