The invention discloses methods and apparatus(es) for the removal and control of pollutants such as gases and suspended particulates in the air of an enclosed space or an outdoor environment by passing the air through absorbent media. The absorbent media includes any liquid, solid or combination of liquid and solid media that is capable of absorbing a material in which it comes in contact. In one aspect of the invention, formaldehyde is removed by air sparging through a liquid such as water, optionally containing additional scavenging agents.

Both a system and a method for scrubbing a contaminated gas stream with a glycerol solution are disclosed. The system includes a contaminated gas stream in need of purification, along with a column which receives the contaminated gas stream. A glycerol solution is also received by the column and is used to scrub the contaminated gas stream in the column. The glycerol solution is used to reduce at least three contaminants from the gas stream, and includes greater than 50% glycerol and less than 98% glycerol. In one embodiment, the glycerol solution includes between 0.5% to 10% salts, wherein the salts are sodium based, potassium based or a combination thereof. The salts act catalytically to convert glycerol and carbon dioxide to glycerol carbonate.

A vapor separator in an embodiment is arranged between a first space and a second space, and is used to allow vapor existing in the first space to permeate the second space by making a vapor pressure in the second space lower than a vapor pressure in the first space. The vapor separator in the embodiment includes: a porous body having a first face, a second face opposite to the first face, and fine pores passing from the first face to the second face; and a soluble absorbent existing in the fine pores of the porous body.

A mercury sorbent and method for enhancing mercury removal performance of activated carbon from flue gas by the addition of non-halogen ammonium-containing compounds are provided herein.