Full-scale quantification of Ninf2/infO and CHinf4/inf emissions from urban water systems

Abstract

The quantification of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sewers and wastewater treatment plants is of great importance for urban sustainable development. In fact, the identification and assessment of anthropogenic sources of GHG emissions (mainly nitrous oxide and methane) in these engineered systems represent the first step in establishing effective mitigation strategies. This chapter provides an overview of the currently available nitrous oxide and methane quantification methods applied at full-scale in sewers and wastewater treatment plants. Since the first measurement campaigns in the early 90 s were based on spare grab sampling, quantification methodologies and sampling strategies have evolved significantly, in order to describe the spatio-temporal dynamics of the emissions. The selection of a suitable quantification method is mainly dictated by the objective of the measurement survey and by specific local requirements. Plant-wide quantification methods provide information on the overall emissions of wastewater treatment plants, including unknown sources, which can be used for GHG inventory purposes. To develop on-site mitigation strategies, in-depth analysis of GHG generation pathways and emission patterns is required. In this case, process-unit quantifications can be employed to provide data for developing mechanistic models or to statistically link GHG emissions to operational conditions. With regard to sewers, current available methods are not yet capable of capturing the complexity of these systems due to their geographical extension and variability of conditions and only allow the monitoring of specific locations where hotspots for GHG formation and emission have been identified.