A compact pneumatic pulse-jet pump with a Venturi-like reverse flow diverter, which consists of a nozzle and diffuser, is designed for lifting and transporting a hazardous fluid through a narrow mounting hole. The pumping performance for a liquid mixture or a liquid-solid mixture is examined in terms of the effects of liquid viscosity, particle mass concentration, lifting height, and compression pressure. Results reveal that the pumping performance of the compact pneumatic pulse-jet pump is controlled by jet inertia and the flow resistance of the riser tube positioned after the diffuser. The capacity of the compact pneumatic pulse-jet pump increases with compression pressure and decreases with liquid viscosity. However, even for a liquid mixture with a high viscosity of 7.38 mPa.s, a pumping capacity of 170.7 L.h(-1) was observed. For a liquid mixture, two dimensionless indices of performance were found to be the ratio of Euler numbers Eu-out/Eu-DV and the suction factor q. As the liquid-solid mixture was lifted to elevation of 6.74 m by the compact pump, the particle size distributions of the liquid-solid mixture in the tank and from the riser tube outlet were determined by a particle size analyzer and found to coincide well.