The profound impact of flue gas de-whitening on the environment and public health
Publish Time: 2025-06-19
In recent years, with the rapid advancement of my country's industrialization, high-emission industries such as coal-fired power plants, steel metallurgy, and chemical production have promoted economic development while also bringing serious environmental pollution problems. Among them, the phenomenon of "white smoke coming out of chimneys" has become one of the focuses of public attention. This "white smoke" seems harmless, but in fact it often contains a large amount of water vapor, fine particles, acidic gases and other pollutants, which not only affects the visual perception, but may also cause potential harm to the ecological environment and human health.
1. What is flue gas de-whitening?
Flue gas de-whitening refers to the removal of a large amount of water vapor and particulate pollutants dissolved in the flue gas by physical or chemical means, so that the discharged flue gas no longer presents an obvious white mist, thereby reducing the impact on atmospheric visibility. Its core principle is to reduce the moisture content in the flue gas through cooling, condensation, washing, etc., and remove the entrained harmful substances at the same time.
Common flue gas de-whitening technologies include heating and heating method (GGH) after wet flue gas desulfurization, direct condensation recovery method, spray washing + condensation dehumidification combined process, etc. These methods can not only effectively achieve visual "de-whitening", but more importantly, improve the overall exhaust gas purification level.
2. The positive impact of flue gas de-whitening on the environment
First, flue gas de-whitening helps to improve regional air quality. The flue gas discharged after traditional wet flue gas desulfurization contains a large amount of water vapor, which forms white fog when it is cooled, which not only affects the urban landscape, but also causes local humidity to rise and increases the probability of haze formation. Through de-whitening treatment, the emission of water in the flue gas can be greatly reduced, and the number of suspended droplets in the air can be reduced, thereby reducing the negative impact on air quality.
Secondly, some harmful gases and particulate matter are removed simultaneously during the flue gas de-whitening process. For example, in the process of condensation dehumidification, gases such as SO₃, NH₃, NOx in the flue gas and heavy metals and organic pollutants adsorbed on its surface will be separated out with the condensed water, further reducing the concentration of toxic substances in the atmosphere. This is of great significance for controlling regional pollution problems such as acid rain and photochemical smog.
In addition, the de-whitening system can also achieve partial recycling of water resources. The condensed water generated during the condensation process can be treated and reused in the industrial circulating water system to improve the utilization rate of water resources, which is in line with the concept of green and sustainable development.
3. The protective effect of flue gas de-whitening on public health
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in flue gas have significant harm to the human respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Especially in winter when the temperature is low and the air flow is poor, untreated wet flue gas is easy to mix with low-temperature air to form "white fog type" pollution, aggravating the degree of air pollution.
Flue gas de-whitening technology reduces the residence time of droplets in the air by reducing the humidity and temperature of flue gas, thereby reducing the risk of secondary generation of PM2.5. At the same time, the multi-stage purification measures in the de-whitening process can also effectively intercept and remove residual fine particles and toxic substances in the flue gas, fundamentally reducing the threat to residents' health.
Especially in densely populated urban industrial areas and industrial parks, the implementation of flue gas de-whitening projects can help improve the quality of life of surrounding residents and reduce the incidence of respiratory diseases caused by air pollution, especially among children, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases.
Flue gas de-whitening is not only a means to solve "visual pollution", but also an important measure to improve air quality, protect public health and promote green development. It achieves the unity of "visible change" and "invisible purification" through scientific technical paths, reflecting the transformation of modern environmental protection governance from end-point control to full-process optimization.
