Industrial Air Pollution Collection: What Every Facility Manager Should Know (Updated 2025)

Current estimates reveal that air pollution costs the global economy $225 billion each year in lost labor income.

What’s more, the industry sector (i.e., mining, construction, and manufacturing) accounts for nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions.

With numbers like these, one thing is for sure: preventing industrial pollution is not only good for future generations but also good for the economy.

Below, we explore some of the industrial pollution prevention trends expected to take the lead in the upcoming years.

Why Industrial Air Pollution Collection Matters in 2025

Industrial air pollution collection is the end-to-end process of capturing, conveying and removing air pollutants at the source using engineered systems such as hoods, ducting, dust collectors, scrubbers, oxidizers and dampers, then verifying performance through air quality monitoring. It’s the practical bridge between compliance and worker health for HVAC and facility teams responsible for day-to-day operations.

Air pollution remains one of the world’s most expensive public health problems. The World Bank estimates it costs $8.1 trillion annually—figures that regulators use to justify stricter emissions limits that directly impact facility operations. In addition to the economic burden, WHO ties 7 million deaths a year to air pollution, underscoring why the Environmental Protection Agency and state regulators continue to expand air quality monitoring requirements.

Reliable collection and proven pollution control equipment safeguard indoor air quality, reduce exposure to hazardous air pollutants, and protect uptime by keeping sensitive processes, sensors and people out of harm’s way. When these systems are integrated with continuous air quality monitoring, teams can spot issues before they become violations or health incidents.

Trend #1: A Greater Shift Toward Clean Energy

Government incentives for clean energy continue to expand. In 2022, the U.S. extended the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), restoring it to 30% and lengthening its availability through 2032. This extension is part of a broader trend of policies encouraging businesses to adopt renewable energy in place of fossil fuels. As a result of such incentives and falling technology costs, renewable energy remains the fastest-growing energy source in the U.S.

Globally, the momentum behind renewables is unmistakable. Clean energy sources (renewables plus other zero-carbon power) now provide over 40% of the world’s electricity. In fact, solar and wind have driven record growth – solar has been the fastest-growing power source for 20 years running. Looking ahead, renewables alone are on pace to supply roughly half of global electricity by mid-century. Industrial companies are well aware of this trajectory and continue to invest in clean energy projects and efficiency initiatives as part of their 2025 and beyond strategies, positioning themselves to capitalize on the renewable boom.

The Economic & Health Costs of Air Pollution

Air pollution drives significant productivity losses and health costs. Analysis cited by the Clean Air Fund find that around 1.2 billion workdays are lost globally each year due to outdoor air pollution, a number that could climb to 3.8 billion lost workdays by 2060 if current trends persist. These lost days reflect workers falling ill from pollution-related causes, and they translate into billions of dollars in economic losses.

In the U.S., the toll of air pollution is also alarmingly high. The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air 2025” report shows that 156.1 million Americans (about 46% of the population) live in areas with failing grades for ozone or particle pollution, which is nearly 25 million more people breathing unhealthy air than in the previous year. This decline in air quality is being exacerbated by extreme heat, drought, and wildfires driven by climate change, which are worsening ozone and particulate pollution levels. These realities underscore the urgency for better industrial pollution controls – improving air capture at the source, using right-sized dust collectors and scrubbers, diligent equipment maintenance, and continuous air quality monitoring. All these measures help protect workers and communities, reduce healthcare costs, and ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

Trend #2: Increased Emphasis on Industrial Waste Management

Between 2020 and 2027, the global industrial waste management market is expected to expand dramatically – analysts project it will reach around $2.15 trillion by 2027. This surge reflects how seriously companies and governments are taking waste reduction and proper disposal in the industrial sector. The core pillars of industrial waste management remain the same, focusing on the “3 Rs” plus treatment:

• Source reduction: Eliminating or minimizing the waste generated at the source (for example, changing processes to produce less scrap or using more efficient materials).
• Recycling: Optimizing the use of raw materials by reclaiming and reusing waste materials in the production cycle. This includes everything from metals and plastics to water and heat recovery.
• Waste treatment: Applying physical, chemical, or biological treatments to waste that cannot be avoided or recycled, in order to neutralize hazardous components and make the waste less harmful prior to disposal.
• Implementing these practices yields multiple benefits. Companies that aggressively reduce, recycle, and properly treat their wastes enjoy better compliance with tightening government regulations and avoid costly penalties. They also reduce the environmental footprint of their operations – fewer pollutants released and less waste going to landfills – which is increasingly important for corporate sustainability goals. In the coming years, investing in robust waste management programs will remain a high priority for industrial firms, not only to meet regulatory requirements but also to improve efficiency and public image.

Market Trends – Air Pollution Control Equipment

Demand for industrial air pollution control equipment is accelerating worldwide. According to Global Market Insights, the global air pollution control equipment market was valued at $86.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $144.6 billion by 2034, growing at roughly 5.3% annually. An alternative outlook from Future Market Insights is even more bullish – forecasting the market to grow from $97.9 billion in 2025 to about $207.6 billion by 2035 (approximately 7.8% CAGR). These differences in estimates reflect variations in scope and methodology, but both analyses point to sustained growth in this sector. The drivers are clear: environmental regulations are becoming stricter across the globe, and many industrial facilities are upgrading or installing pollution control systems to meet lower emission limits. At the same time, companies are modernizing their controls with connected sensors and data analytics, enabling condition-based maintenance and easier compliance tracking.

Filtration and emission destruction technologies continue to dominate new deployments. This includes equipment such as fabric filter baghouses and electrostatic precipitators for particle removal, as well as catalytic and regenerative thermal oxidizers for destroying volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other hazardous gases. Notably, next-generation systems often come equipped with smart features – for example, sensors that monitor pressure drops or emissions in real time and trigger maintenance alerts. Such advancements are becoming standard features as industries seek both efficiency and reliability in pollution control.

Trend #3: A Surge in Air Pollution Control Equipment Usage

Industries worldwide are installing more air pollution control equipment than ever before. Biofilters, mist collectors, baghouses, regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs), selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, and the heavy-duty industrial dampers used within these systems are all examples of equipment now commonplace in factories and plants. Each plays a role in capturing or neutralizing pollutants from industrial processes. For instance, Kelair’s industrial dampers can precisely control airflow of exhaust streams entering a VOC treatment unit and are a critical component of RTO systems, which treat and oxidize exhaust air to remove harmful emissions.

This boom in pollution control equipment adoption is largely the result of increasingly stringent emissions regulations. Governments are mandating lower allowable levels of pollutants like particulate matter, NOx, SOx, and VOCs, compelling companies to upgrade their environmental controls. As a result, the global market for air pollution control equipment has grown substantially – it is estimated at nearly $100 billion in 2025. a staggering increase from a decade prior, and it continues to climb each year. Companies, facing pressure to comply with laws such as the Clean Air Act in the U.S. and similar rules abroad, will persist in seeking effective air pollution control solutions. These investments not only help avoid regulatory fines but also improve workplace air quality and demonstrate corporate commitment to environmental responsibility.

Ultimately, the convergence of strict regulations, public health concerns, and corporate sustainability goals is driving a sustained surge in the use of air pollution control equipment. Industrial firms that stay ahead of these trends by implementing advanced pollution controls and maintaining them diligently will protect both their workers and communities – and position themselves as leaders in sustainable industry practices.

Emerging Risks – Beyond Industrial Point Sources

Wildfire smoke is now a recurring business risk. Peer-reviewed research in Science Advances finds that more than 1 billion people—about one in eight globally—experienced at least one day of unhealthy indoor air annually from wildfire smoke between 2003 and 2022, underscoring the need to harden buildings and operations against outdoor events that infiltrate indoor spaces.

Meanwhile, international funding for clean air remains thin. The Climate Policy Initiative reports $4.7 billion in air-quality development finance in 2022—about 1% of total international development funding—leaving a wide gap between needs and resources. Clean Air Fund

Equity also matters. The American Lung Association highlights that communities of color are disproportionately exposed to unhealthy air, which heightens the ethical and compliance imperatives for rigorous air pollution control and transparent reporting.

Innovations & Technology in Air Pollution Collection

AI-assisted air quality monitoring is moving from pilot to practice. Recent reviews document rapid adoption of machine-learning models to improve forecasting, anomaly detection and sensor calibration, strengthening how facilities manage continuous emissions and ambient data.

Hybrid systems that pair particulate controls with gas-phase media are gaining traction for mixed emissions—think baghouse plus scrubber or oxidizer with upstream capture—improving removal across particle and VOC/HAP profiles.

Policy continues to drive upgrades. In the U.S., the Clean Air Act sets the framework through NAAQS, MACT and technology-based standards; recent actions include tighter fine-particle limits and expanded monitoring support. In the EU, the Industrial Emissions Directive (now updated as IED 2.0) tightens integrated permits and best available techniques. U.S. Inflation Reduction Act funds are supporting air monitoring and sensor networks at state, local and Tribal agencies.

Practical Strategies for Facilities & HVAC Professionals

Start with a system audit. Verify capture velocity at hoods, duct transport velocities, pressure drops, and fan curves; confirm dust collector performance with up-to-date leak detection and stack testing where required. Pair the audit with continuous or high-frequency air quality monitoring so you can correlate operating conditions with particulate or VOC spikes.

Prioritize quick wins. Upgrade to smart differential-pressure monitoring on filters, right-size filter media and changeout schedules, and tune airflow to improve particle capture while controlling energy use. For mixed emissions, pilot hybrid filtration or add upstream capture to improve collection efficiency before your primary control device.

Plan for resilience. If your region faces wildfire smoke or dust events, implement temporary high-MERV/HEPA staging, positive-pressure strategies for critical rooms, and a building-tightness review to limit infiltration during events—then document results in ESG and compliance reporting.

Use policy to fund progress. Track grants and incentives that support monitoring networks and data systems; EPA guidance details IRA funding for air monitoring and sensors that can strengthen compliance and community transparency.

Let Kelair Be Your Partner in Industrial Pollution Control

At Kelair, we design our industrial dampers to help companies improve their environmental conditions by leveraging VOC (volatile organic compound) abatement techniques. Each damper solution is designed to meet even the most stringent equipment standards for airflow, temperature, and actuation.

The Road Ahead for Industrial Air Pollution Collection

Market momentum and policy pressure are converging. Facilities that act now—by tightening capture at the source, upgrading dust collectors and scrubbers and instrumenting with modern air quality monitoring—will reduce risk, prove compliance and protect people. The longer upgrades are deferred, the steeper the costs to catch up, especially as indoor and outdoor risks converge through wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

Done well, industrial air pollution collection is both a competitive edge and a responsibility. It protects uptime, supports ESG goals and delivers cleaner air for workers and neighboring communities.

Don’t let your organization’s industrial pollution control standards fall behind in 2021 (and beyond). Get in touch with a Kelair Products, Inc. representative today.