General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has reported that its PERSES system was used to demonstrate the destruction of PFAS-contaminated waste at a facility in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
The company said the demonstration took place on May 30, 2025, and was attended by Congresswoman Betty McCollum and other state and local officials.
According to General Atomics, the system is stationed at the site for a four-week period to demonstrate its industrial-scale capabilities.
The company stated that following the Lake Elmo demonstration, the system will be shipped to other test locations for additional field trials.
General Atomics explained that the demonstration is part of a program run by Bay West LLC and funded by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center.
According to General Atomics, Congresswoman McCollum and multiple government officials attended the live field test in Lake Elmo.
Congresswoman McCollum said: “This is an exciting day as we learn how to break down the toxic chemical bond of PFAS.
“Through Department of Defense investment and private-sector innovation, General Atomics has achieved an extraordinary scientific breakthrough by completing a successful PFAS remediation in a controlled setting.
“But there’s still work to be done.
“Now, we must focus on scaling this technology so that it can be a solution for communities and military installations at large to eliminate the threat of PFAS pollution.”
General Atomics reported that the demonstration included a variety of PFAS-contaminated media such as biosolid sludge, firefighting foam, and landfill leachate.
The company noted that the test aimed to highlight the effectiveness of the system in diverse environments.
General Atomics explained that the PERSES system uses its industrial Supercritical Water Oxidation technology, which has been in commercial use for over a decade.
The company reported that this process destroys PFAS and over 200 hazardous and non-hazardous waste types at efficiency levels exceeding 99.99%.
According to the manufacturer, the process results in only water, salts, and carbon dioxide, with no need for further treatment.
The company stated that PERSES is designed for on-site deployment and can handle complex waste streams.
General Atomics added that the system provides communities and facilities with a mobile option for PFAS remediation.
The on-site demonstration was delivered under a contract awarded to General Atomics by Bay West LLC.
Bay West is an environmental consulting and remediation firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The company said the project is part of a broader initiative supported by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center.
According to Bay West, the goal of the program is to deliver, install, and operate PERSES systems across multiple sites.
The company stated that the system is expected to undergo further demonstrations following the Lake Elmo trial.
Scott Forney, president of General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, said: “We are extremely pleased to be working with Bay West and ERDC in welcoming Congresswoman McCollum, state, regional and local officials to witness the effectiveness of PERSES in the destruction of PFAS.
“On-site demonstrations such as this bring the power of PERSES directly into a community to demonstrate in person the system’s capabilities to safely and efficiently eliminate PFAS from a broad range of waste media including landfill leachate, biosolid ‘sludge’, soils and sediment, firefighting foam, and granular activated carbon and resin beads from filtration treatment systems.
“PERSES is the most effective tool in the waste remediation toolkit that can help bring an end to the forever cycle of PFAS contamination.”
General Atomics added that its work supports wider federal efforts to address PFAS through research, development, and scalable field application.
The company noted that additional demonstrations are planned as part of its contract with Bay West.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems held a PFAS destruction demonstration in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
The demonstration featured the company’s PERSES waste destruction system.
Congresswoman Betty McCollum attended the demonstration along with other government officials.
The system was used to destroy PFAS-contaminated waste including sludge, leachate, and foam.
The PERSES unit will remain on-site for four weeks for further trials.
General Atomics stated the system uses Supercritical Water Oxidation technology.
The company reported a destruction efficiency of over 99.99%.
Only water, salts, and carbon dioxide are left after treatment.
The project is being delivered through a contract with Bay West LLC.
The initiative is funded by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center.
