A processing unit for a liquid washing medium contaminated with sulphur oxides and/or nitrogen oxides, has an evaporation stage for concentrating the active components of the washing medium by an evaporator and/or by a heat exchanger, and has a collecting tank connected to the evaporator and/or to the heat exchanger. The collecting tank is configured as a crystallizer for removing sulfur oxides from the washing medium by crystallization of a sulphate, in particular of potassium sulphate. A separating device for carbon dioxide has a corresponding processing unit, and a method for processing a washing medium contaminated with sulphur oxides and/or nitrogen oxides uses a corresponding processing unit.
