An electrostatic precipitator in which particles entrained in the gas stream are charged electrically by a corona discharge field established in opposition to the gas stream between a plurality of emitter electrodes and a screen attractor electrode upstream of an surrounding the emitter electrodes, inducing turbulence in the stream. The velocity at which the particles pass through the charging field is increased by a dielectric converging-diverging nozzle located across the gas stream closely adjacent the particle charging field to retard migration of the charged particles to the screen attractor. The charged particles are collected downstream of the discharge field on an electrically charged moving dielectric member by which an electric precipitation field terminating at a passive reference electrode is maintained across the gas steam. Charges and charged particles are held on the collection surface of the dielectric member by an electric field created between that surface and a conductive member adjacent the opposite surface of the dielectric member. At a location isolated from the gas stream, the collected particles are removed from the collecting surface.