Abstract: An apparatus and a method of reducing pollution for tire buffing equipment by which a narrow air stream curtain is directed across the cutting width of a rasp immediately ahead of the tread grinding area to contain dust or other small tread materials particles emitted during buffing. Water in the form of a mist is directed between the air curtain and the rasp for mixing with the air to congeal or coagulate the dust and tread material particles into larger size particles which are more efficiently handled by an exhaust or collecting system.