PFAS destruction technology tested in Minnesota waste facility
Iain Hoey
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PFAS trial launched at Lake Elmo site in the United States
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has reported that its commercial PERSES waste destruction system is being delivered to a waste management facility in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
The deployment is part of a demonstration project led by environmental remediation firm Bay West LLC and funded by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).
The trial aims to show PERSES’ capacity to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) waste at industrial scale.
The system will remain at the Lake Elmo facility for approximately four weeks before being moved to other locations for additional demonstrations under separate contracts.
PERSES system previously verified in full-scale testing
In 2024, Bay West carried out trials at the General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems testing site in San Diego.
Analysis of the results, submitted to ERDC, indicated PERSES achieved 99.99% or greater PFAS destruction across various waste materials from both public and private sources.
The upcoming Lake Elmo trial will involve processing PFAS and other organic waste from sources including Aqueous Film-Forming Foam, landfill leachate, biosolid sludge, soils and sediment, and filtration materials such as granular activated carbon and resin beads.
Government and community support for demonstration project
Scott Forney, president of General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, said: “Minnesota’s government leadership, as well as states across the nation are actively implementing strategies to eliminate PFAS from the environment and mitigate the adverse effects these ‘forever chemicals’ have on public health and safety.”
He added: “We are excited to bring the destruction power of PERSES to Lake Elmo as local, state, and federal government agencies continue to evaluate PERSES’ capabilities to eliminate PFAS from a myriad of waste streams.
“We appreciate the efforts the Lake Elmo city council and local community have made to support this project and look forward to a successful demonstration program.”
Bay West and ERDC roles in research and remediation
Bay West LLC is overseeing the demonstration project.
The company is based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and offers environmental consulting and remediation services for government and commercial clients.
ERDC is part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
It provides scientific and engineering expertise to U.S. military and civilian agencies on environmental and infrastructure challenges.
PFAS destruction technology tested in Minnesota waste facility: Summary
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has delivered its PERSES waste destruction system to a waste management facility in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, for a four-week demonstration.
The project is managed by Bay West LLC and funded by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).
It aims to evaluate the system’s industrial-scale performance in destroying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) across a range of waste media.
In 2024, PERSES achieved 99.99% or greater PFAS destruction efficiency in full-scale tests conducted in San Diego.
The Lake Elmo trial will process materials including firefighting foam, landfill leachate, sludge, soils, and treatment filtration residues.
Following this demonstration, the system will be relocated to other test sites.
Bay West is a Minnesota-based environmental services firm.
ERDC is a U.S. Department of Defense research body supporting environmental and infrastructure science across military and civilian domains.
