Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference Resources and Technology (RESAT 2025)

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Pilot-Testing Electrostatic Dust Precipitators in Ulaanbaatar/Mongolia: Insights into Particulate Matter Composition and Potential for Air Pollution Reduction

Authors
Gunther Claus Stehr1, *, Daniel Karthe2, Byambasuren Battulga3, Lodoysamba Sereeter4
1Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Hochschule Für Technik Und Wirtschaft Dresden - University of Applied Sciences (HTWD), Dresden, Germany
2Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources, United Nations University (UNU), Dresden, Germany
3Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
4Faculty of Raw Materials and Environmental Engineering, German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
*Corresponding author. Email: stehr@htw-dresden.de
Corresponding Author
Gunther Claus Stehr
Available Online 25 December 2025.
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_12How to use a DOI?
Keywords
air pollution; particulate matter; heavy metals; electrostatic precipitator
Abstract

Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, experiences severe air pollution during winter months due to small coal- and wood-fired stoves. A research project developed an electrostatic dust precipitator (ESP) for these stoves, which provided insights into particulate matter (PM) reduction potential and composition. The ESP effectively collected fly ash, allowing for chemical analysis of aerosol precipitates.

The study found that fly ash differed significantly from bottom ash and contained high concentrations of trace elements, including As, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn. These elements are major soil and water pollutants locally and pose significant human health risks. The study also quantified the air pollution reduction potential of a large-scale implementation of ESPs, which could reduce PM emissions by several thousand tons per heating season. This would reduce ambient aerosol concentrations, toxic metal, and metalloid emissions into the atmosphere and the wider environment. The study highlights the need for effective enforcement of regulations and safe disposal strategies to protect public health and the environment.

While air quality measurements in Ulaanbaatar have shown improvements, pollution levels remain high, particularly in ger areas during winter heating seasons. The Mongolian public expects the government to implement measures for further improvements. Implementing ESP systems in small stoves and developing new technologies to remove gas-phase pollutants are essential for improving quality of life and public health in Ulaanbaatar.

Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference Resources and Technology (RESAT 2025)
Series
Advances in Engineering Research
Publication Date
25 December 2025
ISBN
978-94-6463-928-5
ISSN
2352-5401
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_12How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Gunther Claus Stehr
AU  - Daniel Karthe
AU  - Byambasuren Battulga
AU  - Lodoysamba Sereeter
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/25
TI  - Pilot-Testing Electrostatic Dust Precipitators in Ulaanbaatar/Mongolia: Insights into Particulate Matter Composition and Potential for Air Pollution Reduction
BT  - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference Resources and Technology (RESAT 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 143
EP  - 162
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_12
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_12
ID  - Stehr2025
ER  -