A fluid decontamination apparatus is provided having a container body with a plurality of three-dimensional open structure (3DOS) substrates spaced about therein, wherein a contaminated fluid flowing through the container body will contact the 3DOS substrates. Nozzles can be inserted and secured within inlet apertures disposed about the container body, configured to inject the contaminated fluid with/without air to induce the occurrence of hydrodynamic cavitation. The substrates can be porous and permeable enabling the contaminated fluid to flow therethrough, wherein the fluid flow passageway through the pores extends the volume of contaminated fluid exposed to turbulent and cavitation inducing flow conditions. Moreover, the 3DOS substrates may be coated with one or more types of catalysts so as to initiate chemical reactions. As such, the extended exposure of the contaminated fluid to hydrodynamic cavitation forming conditions, along with the chemical reactions carried out on the porous surfaces, enable an increased number of toxic species and unwanted organic compounds to be destroyed and/or altered, thereby enhancing the decontamination of the flowing fluid.

A device for electrocoagulation to treat a process stream, such as water, wastewater, or industrial waste. Also, a method to treat a process stream, such as water or wastewater, or industrial waste, utilizing said device. An electrocoagulation device configured to treat a process stream, the device including a cathode; an anode, wherein the anode is porous and water permeable; and a pressure system, wherein the pressure system is configured to flow at least 95% of the process stream through the anode.

A method for treating produced water from a fraccing source is disclosed. The method first mixes nitrogen and produced water and feeds the mixture to a forward osmosis unit containing a semi-permeable membrane; carbon dioxide gas is then fed to the forward osmosis unit, therein creating a pressurized nitrogen side and a pressurized carbon dioxide side of the forward osmosis unit; concentrated produced water is recovered from the pressurized nitrogen side of the forward osmosis unit and fresh water is recovered from the pressurized carbon dioxide side of the forward osmosis unit.

A method of cross-flow filtering wastewater from a diagnostic apparatus or a laboratory analyser, wherein the wastewater comprises nanoparticles and/or microparticles, and the wastewater is streaming in a laminar flow across a surface of a filter membrane, the method comprising: (a) streaming the wastewater across the surface of the filter membrane with a flow rate, so that the flow of the wastewater is a laminar flow with a Reynolds number (Re) of smaller than 500; (b) streaming the wastewater in pulse cycles across the surface of the filter membrane, wherein each pulse cycle comprises one active phase in which the wastewater is under a duty pressure and one inactive phase in which the wastewater is under an inactive pressure, wherein the inactive pressure is no more than 10% of the duty pressure and the active phases have a duration of greater than 50% of the corresponding pulse cycles; and (c) separating the nanoparticles and/or microparticles from the wastewater when the wastewater passes through the filter membrane. Also described is a cross-flow filtration system configured for performing the method.

Systems for treating water are disclosed. The system includes an ozonation subsystem including a source of ozone configured to dissolve ozone into water from a source of water to produce ozonated water. The system further includes an electrochemical cell co-located with the ozonation subsystem having an inlet connectable to a source of electrolyte and an outlet. The electrochemical cell is configured to produce hydrogen peroxide from electrolyte from the source of electrolyte. The system additionally includes a mixing zone configured to receive the ozonated water, to receive the hydrogen peroxide from the outlet of the electrochemical cell, and to mix the ozonated water and hydrogen peroxide to form peroxone. Systems and methods of treating water, such as by selectively removing one or more emergent compounds from contaminated water, using the system are also disclosed.

Among other things, a device for use in electrolyzing water is described. The device comprises an electrolysis unit that includes a chamber, an ion exchange structure in the chamber, a cathode, an anode, a high pressure chamber, and a reservoir. The chamber is separated by the ion exchange structure into a first compartment and a second compartment. The cathode is in the first compartment and the anode in the second compartment. The reservoir is disposed in the high pressure chamber for storing water to be supplied to the chamber of the electrolysis unit. In some implementations, the ion exchange structure is a proton exchange membrane.

A pressurized forward osmotic separation process is disclosed. Generally there are two processes described. One process involves the concentration of a target solute in the first solution; the other process involves the extraction of a solvent from a first solution both by a second solution comprising of water and soluble gas or water, soluble gas, and a compound by creating an osmotic concentration gradient across the semi permeable membrane. The first solution is under pressure from an inert gas and the second solution is under pressure from a soluble gas with equal system pressures greater than 1 atmosphere. The increase or decrease of partial pressure of the soluble gas in the second solution increases or decreases the chemical potential of the second solution to achieve different solution properties. The soluble gas may be carbon dioxide and the compound may be magnesium hydroxide.

A method of removing chemical contaminants from a composition comprising an active, a solvent, and a contaminant can include providing an initial feed supply, wherein the initial feed supply comprises the active, the solvent, and the contaminant, wherein the contaminant can include 1,4 dioxane, dimethyl dioxane, or a combination thereof; including filtering the initial feed stock through a nanofilter.

A fluid decontamination and apparatus and a method of fluid decontamination, introducing, via an inlet nozzle, a contaminated fluid from a fluid source into a continuous pipe section. The inlet nozzle is coupled to the continuous pipe section that enables fluid flow therethrough. Hydrodynamic cavitation is generated upon exiting the inlet nozzle within the continuous pipe section by spraying and evenly distributing the fluid that induces cavitation formation within the fluid across a three dimensionally open structured (3DOS) substrate disposed within the continuous pipe section. The 3DOS structure is positioned proximate to the inlet nozzle such that the hydrodynamic cavitation generated by the inlet nozzle enters the 3DOS substrate and the 3DOS substrate maintains the hydrodynamic cavitation of the fluid flow into the 3DOS substrate to enable destruction of toxic species and unwanted organic compounds contained in the contaminated fluid.

A fluid decontamination apparatus is provided for, introducing, via an inlet nozzle, a contaminated fluid from a fluid source into a continuous pipe section. The inlet nozzle is coupled to the continuous pipe section that enables fluid flow therethrough. Hydrodynamic cavitation is generated upon exiting the inlet nozzle within the continuous pipe section by spraying the fluid that induces cavitation formation within the fluid across at least one three dimensionally open structured (3DOS) element disposed within the continuous pipe section. The 3DOS element may be sequentially arranged foam rings defining an inner flow channel, or may be one or more solitary structures. The 3DOS structure is positioned such that the hydrodynamic cavitation generated by the inlet nozzle enters the 3DOS element, which maintains the hydrodynamic cavitation to enable destruction of toxic species and unwanted organic compounds contained in the contaminated fluid.