Air and water pollution: How filtration protects people and processes from contaminants
The scale of global pollution becomes clear in two examples from the EU: Despite decades of progress, nearly 95 percent¹ of Europe's urban population breathes air that fails to meet WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines. In our water, too, the invisible arrived long ago: according to a study commissioned by Germany's Federal Environment Agency, 100 percent² of the children and adolescents examined carry PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) in their blood – a compound whose most important applications are already banned in the EU. One thing becomes clear: pollution is most dangerous when it's invisible. Contamination control, the systematic use of strategies and technologies to reduce or eliminate pollutants from air and water, has therefore long since become more than a regulatory obligation. It’s the active, measurable protection of people, equipment, and processes, across the entire lifecycle.
The invisible threat: Pollution 2.0
Industrialization and pollution have always been closely linked but the profiles of the pollutants involved have changed fundamentally. Smoke or cloudy water can be seen and addressed. Fine particulate matter in the PM1 class, ultrafine particles, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), on the other hand, escape direct perception. Yet, they have an effect – continuously, deep within systems and the human body. Typical examples of pollution range from industrial fine particulate matter to PFAS in groundwater to chemical air pollutants in buildings and production facilities. Climate change and pollution reinforce one another in the process: rising temperatures, for example, increase the concentration of ground-level airborne pollutants and degrade water quality worldwide.
Since 2010, the United Nations has recognized the right to clean water as a human right³ and since 2022, the right to a clean, healthy environment as well, including clean air⁴. It's an entitlement that is still missed daily in many settings, in part because so many contaminations cause irreversible damage unnoticed and call for highly specialized filtration solutions. The problem of invisible air and water pollution affects everyone, from emerging economies to industrialized nations. It's no coincidence, for instance, that "sick building syndrome" (the appearance of non-specific health complaints inside buildings) is steadily gaining wider public awareness.
Keeping air clean and treating water determine the health and safety of people and animals, as well as how stably processes run, how long equipment can be operated as intended, and how competitive companies remain. The growing importance of indoor air quality (IAQ), water treatment, ESG reporting requirements, and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) makes one thing clear: clean air and clean water can't be taken for granted, contamination control demands modern measures and a clear strategy.
The consequences of pollution for technical systems
The consequences of pollution for technical systems rarely show up in dramatic fashion, at least not right away. They work quietly, cumulatively, and often over long stretches of time: as lost energy, as creeping wear, as instability that only shows up in the numbers much later. Environmental factors such as fine particulate matter, corrosive gases, or pollutants dissolved in water, for instance, manifest in equipment in a variety of ways:
None of these effects occurs in isolation. They reinforce one another and escalate when they aren't actively managed. Chemical air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, or ammonia trigger corrosion, attack electronics, and, in the worst case, break down entire infrastructures. Ultrafine particles penetrate protective barriers, technical and biological alike. Laws and standards governing emission control and air-quality protection provide the regulatory framework here. Filtration is the operational tool that brings that framework to life. Tightened air-quality requirements under the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive, clean-air laws at the national level, and the new EU Drinking Water Directive are raising the pressure to act even further – as are growing EPD transparency obligations. Falling limits for air and water pollutants make one thing clear: anyone betting on the wrong solutions today will have to course-correct tomorrow.
Keeping air clean: When the invisible becomes a system variable
Air pollutants – from fine particulate matter to gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – fall into two fundamentally different categories. And both have to be controlled reliably.
Old and new emission sources are changing the exposure picture further: Pollution from cars and other vehicles (from combustion engines to electric drivetrains) along with industrial biogas production and new manufacturing methods, generates pollutants that many existing filtration concepts simply aren't designed for. This is another reason why measuring and controlling air pollution is a prerequisite for purpose-built filtration design.
The consequences depend on the context, but they're never without effect.
When it comes to clean air indoors and out, the combination of particulate and molecular filtration is usually the only valid option. Only their interplay makes it possible to manage pressure loss, airflow, air volume, and filtration efficiency in such a way that systems run stably over the long term. Effective solutions to reduce air pollution begin with knowing the pollutant profiles that are present and they don't end until ongoing optimization in operation.
Among the most effective air-quality measures – while also meeting the energy-saving requirements set out by the EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive) – are energy-efficient HVAC filters, molecular separators, and context-specific process filters. In buildings, fine dust filters handle the continuous cleaning of supply air while simultaneously protecting the equipment. In industrial processes, process filters ensure defined media conditions – a prerequisite for stable quality and high equipment availability. In mobility, cabin air filters protect vehicle occupants from particulate and chemical air pollutants, while specialized e-mobility filtration solutions safeguard sensitive drivetrain components in both combustion-engine and alternatively powered vehicles.
Water pollution: Cleanliness as an operating requirement
In industrial systems, water is an active factor. It transports energy, enables chemical processes, and is in direct contact with products, membranes, and infrastructure. What's dissolved in it determines the quality of products as well as what equipment can do and for how long. Water pollution from new classes of contaminants poses challenges for treatment concepts that standard solutions usually can no longer answer.
Water contamination arises from a broad spectrum of inputs, typical contaminants in industrial and municipal systems are:
- Microorganisms and bacteria
- Dissolved salts, ions, and minerals
- Pharmaceutical agents and chemical residues
- Microplastics and PFAS
Pollution of bodies of water from industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, and municipal wastewater is placing a growing burden on raw water sources. The sometimes severe pollution of marine and freshwater environments makes it clear that water pollution is not a local challenge. Water contaminants like microplastics circulate globally and have long since found their way into groundwater, rivers, lakes, oceans, and drinking water sources. Regional wastewater regulations and strict requirements such as the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184) are rightly drawing the regulatory lines tighter. Water-quality rules are being tightened not only across Europe, and they create a need to act for operators still relying on outdated systems, particularly those operating internationally.
The structural shift goes further still: growing water scarcity, rising reuse requirements, and the push toward a circular economy are forcing industry and municipalities to replace linear water use with closed-loop systems. Preventing water pollution today means proactively designing treatment systems around new pollutant profiles. Modern solutions against water pollution rely on multi-stage membrane processes:
- Ultrafiltration (UF): Reliable separation of particles, microorganisms, and macromolecules
- Reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration: Removal of dissolved ions, trace substances, and chemicals. Once it has gone through the membrane process, the purified water (the permeate) meets defined quality requirements for further use
Water quality control begins with choosing the right technology. Fouling, cleaning cycles, and energy consumption remain key operating parameters in the process. They can't be eliminated, but with the right system design they can be reliably managed.
Critical environments: Zero tolerance for contamination
There are industries that react with particular sensitivity to air or water pollution. In the pharmaceutical industry, semiconductor manufacturing, in cleanrooms, or in food production, for example, a single contamination event can lead to production downtime, product recalls, the loss of certifications, and immediate liability risks. In these environments, a well-thought-out contamination control strategy is an operating requirement.
In healthcare, further demands come into play: chemical air pollutants and odors don't just compromise hygiene, they have a direct effect on the well-being of patients as well as on staff. High-performance particulate filters and molecular filtration for odor control are critical components of a comprehensive protection concept.
In electronics and energy infrastructure, corrosive gases degrade materials at the molecular level – gradually and often unnoticed, until a component fails.
In closed industrial systems, pollution control and waste management increasingly mesh with one another. Across all of these contexts, the same principle holds: contamination control is risk control and risk control is the prerequisite for everything else.
Mastering the balancing act: Filtration as an active system element
The role of modern filtration has changed fundamentally. It is no longer a downstream protective measure but an integral part of the system design, factored in from the very start. Anyone looking to prevent air and water pollution integrates filtration not after the fact but from the very first planning phase. Whether it's emission control or air-quality protection, the technologies for pollution control have evolved drastically in recent years.
Every filtration solution operates within a balancing act between three parameters: filtration efficiency, energy consumption, and service life. Optimize for maximum separation alone, and you often create excessive pressure loss and drive up operating costs. Save energy, and you may compromise the protective effect. Maximize service life, and you might overlook critical replacement intervals. Keeping this triangle in balance – precisely tuned to specific pollutant profiles, loading conditions, and operating requirements – is the heart of professional filtration planning. Controlling industrial pollution calls for exactly this holistic approach.
Our portfolio offers the depth needed to get to the bottom of complex systems, and the breadth to provide air, water, and molecular filtration from a single source. Our active involvement in standardization bodies such as Eurovent, VDMA, and the VDI allows us not only to meet standards, but to help shape them actively.
What effective filtration really costs and what it achieves
The most common misconception when purchasing filters: the cheapest filter is the most economical. In practice, that's rarely true.
- An optimized airflow noticeably lowers energy consumption because it minimizes the single biggest cost driver in filtration operation.
- Extended application-specific maintenance intervals reduce unplanned downtime and lower labor requirements.
- Longer equipment service life reduces the need for reinvestment over the lifecycle.
- Stable processes safeguard product quality and avoid scrap costs.
- Demonstrable ESG performance strengthens supplier relationships and makes reporting obligations easier.
The decisive concept behind all of this is total cost of ownership (TCO). In air filtration, energy is typically by far the largest share of lifecycle costs, the purchase price of the filters themselves is comparatively low. In water systems, operating costs, cleaning effort, and membrane service life dominate the overall equation. Those who know and manage these parameters make better decisions – not just in purchasing, but across the entire lifecycle: from filter selection to maintenance intervals to disposal.
From reacting to acting: Actively reducing pollution
In air or water quality management, those who wait until pollutants leave their mark lose time, money, and reputation. Because the question isn't whether pollution affects employees, machinery, or products, but how early and how a system is designed to prevent those effects. Today, filtration is one of the most effective means of reducing the pollution within or caused by ongoing operations. Proactive filtration is one of the most powerful levers for reducing emissions and ambient pollution alike – and thus for protecting people, machinery, and systems from air and water pollution in everyday industrial operations.
Regulatory conditions will raise this pressure further in the years ahead – whether stricter particulate limits in the air, tightened PFAS regulation in water, growing EPBD requirements, or ESG reporting obligations that increasingly bring filtration decisions to management's attention. Reducing air and water pollution then becomes, once and for all, a strategic business decision.
Proactive filtration transforms pollution from an uncontrollable risk into a manageable variable – one that can be measured, optimized, and even leveraged as a competitive advantage.
From principle to solution: Our technologies for pollution control
The technologies for keeping air and water clean vary considerably depending on the industry, application, and system context. At MANN+HUMMEL, we meet this challenge with our holistic portfolio of solutions against pollution – covering emission control and both air and water quality protection. For us, filtration is an actively configurable system element that keeps filtration efficiency, energy efficiency, and service life in balance. The principles apply across the board; the water and air pollution solutions are application-specific.
In developing new filtration products, we consistently rely on materials with PFAS-free filter design ("non-added PFAS") – a technological and regulatory advantage that is gaining increasing weight in light of the European Commission's tightened PFAS legislation.
Which solution is right for your application depends on your specific requirements – from the composition of the pollutants to the regulatory conditions to your TCO and ESG goals. Contact us, we'll analyze your situation and work with you to develop the right approach.
Key questions and answers about air and water pollution
Tackling environmental pollution effectively means starting in the right places: where pollutants arise, circulate, and meet people and systems. Technical filtration solutions are one of the most effective tools here. They intervene directly in the pollutant cycle before particles, gases, or contaminated water can cause harm. In industrial processes, process filters and molecular separators ensure clean media and stable production conditions. In buildings, HVAC filters protect indoor air quality and, with it, the health of employees and visitors. In water, membrane technologies such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis reliably remove pollutants – from microorganisms to PFAS. Regulatory conditions such as the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive or wastewater regulations set the minimum framework. Those who act proactively protect not only people and the environment but also their own competitiveness. MANN+HUMMEL offers integrated filtration solutions for air, water, and critical industrial processes for exactly this purpose – all from a single source.
Avoiding pollution entirely is hardly possible in industrial and urban contexts but it can be systematically reduced and controlled. The decisive approach lies in prevention: filtration systems that are integrated into equipment and process planning from the very start are considerably more effective than retrofitted solutions. Emission control and air-quality protection provide the regulatory framework and filtration is the operational tool that brings that framework to life. Capturing air pollutants such as VOCs, nitrogen oxides, or fine particulate matter right at the source prevents them from reaching airways, equipment, or water cycles. In the area of water, avoidance means establishing closed-loop systems, fully treating wastewater before discharge, and specifically removing new classes of pollutants such as PFAS and pharmaceuticals from the water cycle. Pollution control technologies – from molecular filtration to membrane bioreactor technology – are what make exactly this possible. We help companies and municipalities not just manage pollution, but reduce it structurally.
Pollution is a problem because its effects reach far beyond visible damage and because, in modern societies, it’s increasingly hidden from view. Its effects on the well-being and health of living things are enormous. On top of that, pollution is also an economic risk for industry and municipalities: it drives up energy costs, accelerates the wear of equipment, destabilizes processes, and creates liability risks.
Atmospheric pollution can be effectively reduced in both emission control and air-quality protection through the targeted use of air filtration technologies. The first step is knowing the pollutant profile: particulate pollutants such as PM10 and PM2.5 call for different solutions than molecular and chemical pollutants like VOCs, ozone, or hydrogen sulfide. In buildings, energy-efficient HVAC filters handle the continuous cleaning of supply air and measurably improve indoor air quality. In industrial processes, process filters and molecular separators ensure defined media conditions and protect equipment from corrosion and wear. Among the most effective air-quality measures is the combination of particulate and molecular filtration – only their interplay makes comprehensive separation possible.
Controlling air pollution requires measuring it, understanding it, and actively managing it with the right technologies. Measuring and controlling air pollution begins with identifying the relevant pollutants (EN 16798-3/2025): particulate pollutants – classified according to ISO 16890 – call for different filtration concepts than molecular and chemical pollutants, both of which are assessed according to ISO 10121. Air quality management in buildings means continuously designing HVAC filters around current pollutant profiles and monitoring indoor air quality in real time. In industrial processes, controlling industrial air pollution requires an interplay of particulate and molecular filtration – only their combination makes comprehensive separation possible at minimal pressure loss. New emission sources such as electric mobility, industrial biogas production, and new manufacturing methods generate pollutants that many existing filtration concepts aren't designed for – keeping technologically current is decisive. Air-quality regulations at the EU and national level make proactive air quality management a must. MANN+HUMMEL provides support with field-proven filtration solutions – from the EF Series to molecular filters to digital air quality monitoring.
Preventing water pollution today means proactively designing treatment systems around current and future pollutant profiles rather than reacting once limits have been exceeded. Closed water loops in industry are a key lever: they reduce the need for fresh water, minimize discharges, and keep pollutants in the system, where they can be treated in a targeted way. Membrane technologies such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis reliably remove microorganisms, dissolved ions, pharmaceutical agents, and PFAS from the water cycle. The EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184) and wastewater regulations set the minimum regulatory framework – those who think beyond it protect raw water sources over the long term. Pollution of bodies of water from industrial discharges and agricultural runoff can be effectively limited through upstream wastewater treatment with membrane bioreactors (MBR). Water quality control begins with choosing the right membrane technology and a system design that actively manages fouling, cleaning cycles, and energy consumption. We develop tailored solutions for municipal and industrial water treatment – from ultrafiltration to specialty membranes for PFAS-contaminated water.
Reducing water pollution is a systems task; it requires the combined use of filtration technologies, regulatory compliance, and well-thought-out water cycle management. Modern solutions against water pollution rely on multi-stage membrane processes: ultrafiltration (UF) removes particles and microorganisms, while nanofiltration and reverse osmosis (RO) eliminate dissolved ions, trace substances, and chemical residues. Membrane bioreactors (MBR) combine biological treatment and membrane filtration in one integrated system and are especially effective with complex wastewater streams that carry variable loads. New classes of pollutants such as PFAS and pharmaceuticals raise questions that existing treatment concepts – and standard solutions – have no answer for. This is where specialty membranes come in, developed specifically for these requirements. Measures against water pollution also have to be economically viable: operating costs, cleaning effort, and membrane service life determine the long-term success of a plant.
Controlling water pollution means understanding water quality as an active operating variable, not as a given set of conditions. Water quality control begins with a systematic analysis of the pollutant load that's present: microorganisms, dissolved salts, pharmaceutical agents, microplastics, and PFAS each call for different membrane technologies and system configurations. Ultrafiltration (UF) is suited to the reliable separation of particles and microorganisms; reverse osmosis and nanofiltration take over when it comes to dissolved ions and trace substances. Fouling (the buildup of particles and biofilms on membranes) is one of the central operating parameters: it can't be eliminated, but with the right system design and optimized cleaning cycles it can be reliably managed. Wastewater regulations and the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184) define the regulatory requirements; tightened water-quality rules, particularly in the area of PFAS, are raising the pressure to act even further.
