Building on earlier developments in PFAS remediation technology, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has announced PERSES as the new brand name for its industrial Supercritical Water Oxidation (iSCWO) system.

The announcement comes amid significant developments in the PFAS destruction sector. In Oct. 2024, the first commercial-scale PFAS destruction system was sold in the United States, marking a milestone in the industry's evolution from pilot programs to full-scale implementation. The field continues to expand with various approaches, including foam fractionation combined with electro-oxidation technology and plasma vortex technology.

GA-EMS reports that PERSES achieves 99.99% destruction efficiency for PFAS and other hazardous materials, processing various waste streams including concentrated PFAS Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), contaminated groundwater, and solid media from PFAS filters.

"We specifically chose the name PERSES to exemplify the system's transformational technology and destructive force to destroy PFAS with no harmful side effects to the environment," stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. According to Forney, the system destroys PFAS and PFAS waste with co-contaminants in a single process, producing only water, salts, and carbon dioxide as byproducts.

The company plans to ship PERSES systems to two sites this year for installation and industrial-scale destruction demonstrations. These deployments are supported by contracts from the Department of Defense Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and from Bay West LLC, with funding from the U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center.

GA-EMS reports that its systems can process multiple PFAS-impacted waste media types, including:

• Concentrated PFAS Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF)
• Diluted feed "ground water"
• Biosolids
• Pure or concentrated leachate
• Solid media including Granular Activated Carbon and resin beads from PFAS filters

The company has maintained commercial systems in the field since 2012 and has successfully tested the technology on more than 200 waste streams. GA-EMS is currently engaging with waste and remediation companies, along with federal, state, and local agencies to implement PERSES in communities affected by PFAS contamination.

Industry professionals and environmental experts will gather to discuss the latest developments in PFAS detection, destruction, and remediation technologies at the upcoming RemTEC & Emerging Contaminants Summit, scheduled for October 14-16, 2025. The summit, which brings together leaders from academia, government, and the regulatory community, will showcase cutting-edge solutions for addressing PFAS contamination. Registration for the event, which draws environmental remediation engineers, restoration project managers, and other environmental professionals from across the country, opens soon at remediation-technology.com.