Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating contaminants from gaseous flow characterized by the formation of a compound vortex with an outer liquid filter medium strata and an inner contaminated gaseous strata. Contaminants are transferred from the gaseous strata to the liquid filter medium strata thereby filtering the gaseous flow. The compound vortex is formed by simultaneously feeding the contaminated gas and a liquid filter medium, most typically water, in distinct parallel streams into a primary cyclone vessel having an elongated cavity with a substantially circular cross section. A secondary cyclone separate is also disclosed for separating the filtered gas from the liquid filter medium/contaminants mixture and for separating the contaminants from the liquid filter medium.