Process to Reduce Particulate Matter in Ambient Air Using Bubbles of Sodium Palmitate

Abstract

Mining is a significant dust-generating activity, and almost every major process in mining contributes to the atmospheric load of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM). Prolonged exposure to TSPM is known to cause various respiratory diseases, including pneumoconiosis among miners. Thus, the generation of airborne TSPM and its subsequent movement into the surrounding environment is a significant problem for the mining industry. The present study describes a possible approach for removing SPM from air by the environmentally friendly approach of releasing bubbles of a salt of a long-chain fatty acid. More specifically, the study examined the production of bubbles of sodium palmitate and releasing them into the air to capture and remove SPM. TPSM was reduced by using this method at laboratory scale. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.