US Patent:
20110064624, Mar 17, 2011
Inventors:
Todd McGee - Anthem AZ, US
Mark Macdonell - Sugarland TX, US
David Scott Kosch - Coconut Grove FL, US
International Classification:
B01J 19/00
Abstract:
An apparatus adapted to treat at least one target compound comprising a housing through which fluid may pass; a receiving zone defined within the housing; disposed after the receiving zone within the housing, a destruction zone in which an aqueous solution containing at least one target compound is exposed to a destruction agent, the destruction agent adapted to convert the target compound into destruction byproducts; disposed after the destruction zone, a filtration zone containing a filtration agent adapted to remove the destruction byproducts from the solution; liquid disposal means for receiving solution from the filtration zone; and solid disposal means for receiving solids from the filtration zone, whereby, the target compound is first converted to byproducts, then the byproducts are filtered out of the solution, preventing target compounds from entering wastewater systems and ultimately re-entering the water supply. Physical embodiments of the invention include an in-line version for mounting under a sink; a version mounted near a sink and in communication with plumbing, but not in-line; a version that is transportable within a cart; and a toilet-mounted version for removing target compound from urine. Docking stations may be provided for collection of target compounds, which stations then releasably communicate with the apparatus to transfer collected target compounds from the station to the apparatus. Various agents and processes are disclosed for destroying target compounds and for filtering byproducts.