Oxidation and adsorption method for removing contaminating substances from liquids

Claim 1

A process for removing contaminating materials from a polluted aqueous liquid, said contaminating materials including solid contaminants, ranging in size from suspended solids in the macrorange through colloids and dissolved organic contaminants, which comprises the steps of: (a) adding a predetermined amount of NaOCl solution to said liquid, forming a mixture; (b) electrolyzing said mixture to coagulate at least some of said contaminants into a sludge and to form OCl - ions capable of oxidizing said contaminants; (c) separating the sludge from said mixture, said remaining mixture containing dissolved organic contaminants and residual OCl - ions, said predetermined amount of NaOCl solution being at least adequate to yield said residual OCl - ions; (d) adding ozone to said remaining mixture to oxidize said dissolved organic contaminants to form CO 2 and an oxidation residue; (e) contacting said remaining mixture with particles of an inorganic solid adsorbent by percolating said remaining mixture through a column containing a bed of said adsorbent so as to oxidize said contaminants with said residual OCl - ions and said ozone; (f) adsorbing the oxidation residue from said remaining mixture on said inorganic solid adsorbent while venting and collecting the CO 2 ; (g) regenerating said inorganic adsorbent by flushing with the collected CO 2 ; and (h) collecting the decontaminated aqueous liquid after percolation through said inorganic adsorbent bed.