Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Note 10 - Operating Segments (Details) - Segment Financial Information

v2.4.1.9
Note 10 - Operating Segments (Details) - Segment Financial Information (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]    
Revenue from external customers $ 13,600us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet $ 10,544us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Gross profit (loss) 1,478us-gaap_GrossProfit 94us-gaap_GrossProfit
Interest income 8us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest 7us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest
Interest expense (126)us-gaap_InterestExpense (153)us-gaap_InterestExpense
Interest expense-financing fees (58)us-gaap_FinancingInterestExpense (45)us-gaap_FinancingInterestExpense
Depreciation and amortization 966us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization 1,211us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
Segment profit (loss), net of taxes (2,014)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest (3,703)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
Expenditures for segment assets 121us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment 213us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Treatment [Member]    
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]    
Revenue from external customers 9,749us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember 		7,673us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
Intercompany revenues 2pesi_IntercompanyRevenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember 		1pesi_IntercompanyRevenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
Gross profit (loss) 1,235us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember 		111us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
Interest expense (22)us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember 		(10)us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
Depreciation and amortization 764us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember 		949us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
Segment profit (loss), net of taxes 185us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember 		(1,174)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
Expenditures for segment assets 104us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember 		211us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
Services [Member]    
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]    
Revenue from external customers 3,851us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember 		2,871us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember
Intercompany revenues 8pesi_IntercompanyRevenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember 		11pesi_IntercompanyRevenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember
Gross profit (loss) 243us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember 		(17)us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember
Depreciation and amortization 190us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember 		249us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember
Segment profit (loss), net of taxes (303)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember 		(1,048)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember
Expenditures for segment assets 16us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember 		2us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_ServicesMember
Segments Total [Member]    
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]    
Revenue from external customers 13,600us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember 		10,544us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember
Intercompany revenues 10pesi_IntercompanyRevenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember 		12pesi_IntercompanyRevenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember
Gross profit (loss) 1,478us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember 		94us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember
Interest expense (22)us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember 		(10)us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember
Depreciation and amortization 954us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember 		1,198us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember
Segment profit (loss), net of taxes (118)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember 		(2,222)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember
Expenditures for segment assets 120us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember 		213us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_SegmentsTotalMember
Corporate and Other [Member]    
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]    
Revenue from external customers    [1]    [1]
Intercompany revenues    [1]    [1]
Gross profit (loss)    [1]    [1]
Interest income 8us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1] 7us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1]
Interest expense (104)us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1] (143)us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1]
Interest expense-financing fees (58)us-gaap_FinancingInterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1] (45)us-gaap_FinancingInterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1]
Depreciation and amortization 12us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1] 13us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1]
Segment profit (loss), net of taxes (1,896)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1] (1,481)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1]
Expenditures for segment assets $ 1us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember 		[1]    [1]
[1] Amounts reflect the activity for corporate headquarters (in both periods presented) and PF Medical S.A. (for quarter ended March 31, 2015 only), not included in the segment information.