The wastewater treatment apparatus of present invention has an electro-coagulation unit for removing contaminants with at least one anode and at least one cathode and an electro-oxidation unit for oxidizing contaminants with at least one anode and at least one cathode wherein oxidants are electrochemically generated. Based on the type of wastewater, the apparatus can have an electro-flotation unit between the electrocoagulation unit and the electro-oxidation unit. The apparatus also has an oxidant removal unit which can have a metal ion-liberating electrode for reacting with and removing residual oxidants. In some cases, portions of effluent from the oxidant removal unit can be recirculated to the electro-coagulation unit for increased efficiency.

An apparatus for treating a stream of contaminated water having an elevated concentration of at least one of light metals, heavy metals, sulfates that includes at least one process fluid inlet communicating with a process conduit; at least one electrode reaction vessel in fluid communication with the process conduit, the reaction vessel having an interior chamber and at least one electrode positioned in the reaction chamber, the electrode powered by a alternating current source; and at least one magnetic field reaction vessel in fluid communication with the process conduit, the magnetic field reaction vessel having an outwardly oriented surface and an opposed inwardly oriented surface, the magnetic field reaction vessel having at least one magnet in contact with the inwardly oriented surface of the magnetic field reaction vessel.

A pharmaceutical composition is provided comprising a highly soluble arsenic carbonate and/or bicarbonate compound and which is useful in the treatment of a variety of cancers, including acute promyelocytic leukaemia. The arsenic carbonate and/or bicarbonate salt acts as a solid, and so orally deliverable, improved bioequivalent delivery form of arsenic trioxide IV solutions.

A method for treating wastewater having one or more of suspended solids, dissolved solids, biological oxygen demand includes solids filtration followed by a bi-polar/bi-directional flow through ionic module fitted with anionically/cationically charged plates followed by a sub-sonic resonance module followed by another bi-polar/bi-directional flow through ionic module followed by a ultra-sonic resonance module followed by one or more anion/cation collection membrane modules. Recycle is provided in each step, wherein each step may be repeated, and wherein one or more of the steps can be bypassed.

A method and apparatus break down organic materials, typically contaminants, through oxidation. The method for the treatment of a volume of material, provides: a) introducing at least two electrodes into a location, the location containing the volume of material and the volume of material containing one or more species for treatment; b) providing connections between a voltage source and the at least two electrodes; c) applying a voltage of a first polarity to the connections for a first period of time, under the control of a voltage controller; d) applying a voltage of a second, reversed, polarity to the connections for a second period of time, under the control of the voltage controller; e) repeating steps c) and d) a plurality of times; preferably with steps c), d) and e) promoting oxidation of one or more of the one or more species for treatment.

An apparatus for treating a stream of contaminated water having an elevated concentration of at least one of light metals, heavy metals, sulfates that includes at least one process fluid inlet communicating with a process conduit; at least one electrode reaction vessel in fluid communication with the process conduit, the reaction vessel having an interior chamber and at least one electrode positioned in the reaction chamber, the electrode powered by a alternating current source; and at least one magnetic field reaction vessel in fluid communication with the process conduit, the magnetic field reaction vessel having an outwardly oriented surface and an opposed inwardly oriented surface, the magnetic field reaction vessel having at least one magnet in contact with the inwardly oriented surface of the magnetic field reaction vessel.

Methods and circuits for a device for interrupting concentration-related polarisation phenomenon and for self-cleaning of electromembrane processes by application of asymmetric inverse-polarity pulses with high intensity and variable frequency are described. The device, a bipolar switch, is based on the use of solid-state electronics to carry out polarity inversion in a range of frequencies, intensities and pulse widths to prevent or reduce formation of precipitates on the surfaces of the membranes. The inversion protocol, with a frequency that varies as a function of the appearance of dirt on the membranes, as measured by the decrease in voltage or electrical resistance of the membrane cell during electromembrane processes, is also provided. This device and configuration provides application of modulated and stable high-intensity pulses using a second power source. Electromembrane processes can be updated by replacing electrodes, suitable for polarity inversion, and adding a second power source and the bipolar switch described.

A system and method for treatment of a wastewater fluid is described. The system includes a gas supply system to provide a process gas into the wastewater fluid, a pulsed electrical-power generator to generate high electrical voltage pulses and a reactor apparatus pneumatically coupled to the gas supply system, and electrically coupled to the pulsed electrical-power generator. The reactor apparatus is configured to produce a plurality of gas microbubbles of the process gas injected into the wastewater fluid supplied into the reactor apparatus for the treatment, and to apply the high electrical voltage pulses generated by the pulsed electrical-power generator to said plurality of the microbubbles. The high electrical voltage pulses have energy sufficient to create a plasma glow discharge within the plurality of the microbubbles, and in an interface of the microbubbles with the wastewater fluid.

A liquid treatment apparatus includes a housing for storing a liquid, a first electrode at least part of which is arranged in the housing, a second electrode, a third electrode, a first power supply that, in operation, applies a first voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode to make the first electrode held effectively positive with respect to the second electrode, and a second power supply that, in operation, applies a second voltage between the second electrode and the third electrode to make the third electrode held effectively negative with respect to the second electrode. Plasma is generated inside a bubble, which is present in the liquid, when the liquid is stored in the housing and the first power supply applies the first voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.

There are provided processes for treating wastewater. The processes can comprise treating a mixture comprising the wastewater and an activated sludge, in a single reactor, with an electric current having a density of less than about 55 A/m.sup.2, by means of at least one anode and at least one cathode that define therebetween an electrical zone for treating the mixture; exposing the mixture to an intermittent ON/OFF electrical exposure mode to the electric current in which an OFF period of time is about 1 to about 10 times longer than an ON period of time; and maintaining an adequate oxidation-reduction potential in the single reactor. Such processes allow for substantial removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater in the single reactor of various forms and for obtaining another mixture comprising a treated wastewater and solids.