Belts transporting dusty material are equipped with water or chemical-based dust suppression systems. These systems spray the belt material at selected transfer and belt loading points. In some instances, dust suppression systems are coupled to ultrasonic spray nozzles.

Systems spray a constant amount of dust suppression per unit of time whilst the belt is running. The dust sprays are turned off when the belt is idle or unloaded to prevent puddling, waste and slippage.

The way in which dust suppression mechanisms work is to reduce the size of the water droplets, making them smaller than the dust particles. This enables the dust particles to break the water surface tension, adhering to the water droplet and forming larger drops.