An overview is presented of the equipment and economics of pollution control devices for industrial applications. Attention is given to the Venturi scrubber, high order pressure drops, mechanical/centrifugal, cyclonic devices, baghouses, the Hersey reverse jet blow ring, electrostatic precipitators, and flue gas desulfurization. A total of over one and 1/3 billion dollars was spent on air pollution control equipment in 1980. The development of cartridge-type filters filled with synthetic fabrics such as fiberglass mesh for baghouses is reviewed, as is the growth of installed electrostatic precipitator units, totalling 42.274 GW of installed capacity in 1980. A steady growth in the total capacity of scrubbers is foreseen with the tendency for the use of coal as a primary energy source.