Waste water treatment method and apparatus

A closed system for separating contaminants from an aqueous solution containing contaminants, comprising:

• an oxidizing stage for oxidizing contaminants in an aqueous solution including:
• a closed container containing oxidant and having an inlet in fluid communication with a source of aqueous solution containing said contaminants and an outlet for discharging oxidant and oxidized contaminant;
• and
• an electrocoagulation stage for electrocoagulating oxidized contaminants from said oxidizing stage, said electrocoagulation stage including:
• a closed reactor for electrocoagulating oxidized contaminants, said reactor having an inlet in fluid communication with said outlet of said closed container and an outlet for discharging effluent, said reactor configured to diverge from said inlet to said outlet thereof;
• electrodes in electrical communication with said reactor, said electrodes being in spaced relation and connectable to a source of power for supplying current to said electrodes;
• and
• a power supply for supplying currents to said electrodes;
• and
• a plurality of discrete fluidizable metal reaction surfaces freely fluidizable within said reactor for electrochemically oxidizing said contaminants in said aqueous solution in the presence of said electrodes to isolate said contaminants.

A method of separating contaminants from an aqueous solution containing said contaminants, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an aqueous solution containing said contaminants;
• b) oxidizing, in an oxidizing phase, contaminants present in said aqueous solution;
• c) electrocoagulating, in an electrocoagulation phase, oxidized contaminants from step b, said electrocoagulation phase including:
• providing a reactor having an inlet and an outlet from the said reactor diverging in configuration from said inlet to said outlet, said reactor including electrode means actuable by a power supply;
• providing discrete fluidizable metal reaction surfaces within said reactor;
• introducing oxidized contaminants and aqueous solution into said inlet of said reactor;
• fluidizing said metal reaction surface in said reactor in the presence of electric current;
• electrocoagulating contaminants;
• and
• d) separating electrocoagulated contaminants from said aqueous solution.