Patent ID: 8246804

Claim:
A method for treating an aqueous stream containing both anionic and cationic species, the method comprising steps of: continuously circulating water through a loop incorporating an ion adsorption unit comprising a water permeable layer of an ion adsorbing material; feeding to the loop an aqueous solution containing the anionic species and the cationic species; continuously passing the circulating water and the aqueous solution containing the anionic species and the cationic species through the ion adsorbing material in the ion adsorption unit while applying an electric potential across a thickness of the water permeable layer of the ion adsorbing material and removing from the ion adsorption unit an anolyte containing the anionic species in an increased concentration and a catholyte containing the cationic species in an increased concentration; continuously discharging from the ion adsorption unit the catholyte; continuously discharging from the ion adsorption unit the aqueous solution depleted in the anionic species and cationic species as a result of the aqueous solution passing through the ion adsorption unit; continuously passing the anolyte through a reaction unit in which the anionic species reacts with a reactant added to the reaction unit to form a water-insoluble solid material; removing the water-insoluble material from the reaction unit; continuously passing eluate from the reaction unit to the ion adsorption unit; and, if necessary, adding to the loop a quantity of water corresponding to the quantity of the aqueous solution removed from the reaction unit.