Disclosed is a method for the removal of soluble particulate matter from a gas stream, such as urea dust from the off-gas of a finishing section of a urea production plant. The method comprises subjecting the off-gas to at least two quenching stages an aqueous quenching liquid. The quenching liquid used in a first, upstream quench stage, is allowed to have a higher concentration of dissolved particulate matter than the quenching liquid in the second, downstream quench stage. The quenched gas is led through a particle capture zone, typically comprising one or more of a wet scrubber, a Venturi scrubber, and a wet electrostatic precipitator.