Air Pollution Sources, Emission Characteristics, and Control Technologies: A Mechanical Engineering Perspective

Air pollution is recognized as one of the major environmental challenges due to the intervention of increment in transportation, industrialization, thermal power plants, and manufacturing activities. It was realized that mechanical engineering systems significantly influence pollutant formation through combustion, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid flow processes. The present review focussed on major pollution sources, emission characteristics, monitoring methods, and advanced control technologies from a mechanical engineering perspective. Technologies such as catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, electrostatic precipitators, wet scrubbers, and carbon capture systems have shown considerable effectiveness in reducing emissions. Modern monitoring approaches including computational fluid dynamics and IoT-based sensing systems have improved real-time pollution analysis and prediction. However, challenges related to particulate emissions, combustion inefficiencies, and greenhouse gas reduction still remain. Future research should focus on sustainable engineering solutions, energy efficiency, and low-emission technologies.

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