Characteristics and Impacts of Pollution and Remediation on Riverine Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Review

Yizhen Wang, Dungang Gu (), Zaiwei Liu, Jiaqi Lu, Tingting Hu, Guanghui Li, Minsheng Huang and Yan He ()
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Yizhen Wang: Petroleum and Chemical Industry Key Laboratory of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Membrane, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
Dungang Gu: Petroleum and Chemical Industry Key Laboratory of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Membrane, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
Zaiwei Liu: Petroleum and Chemical Industry Key Laboratory of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Membrane, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
Jiaqi Lu: Petroleum and Chemical Industry Key Laboratory of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Membrane, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
Tingting Hu: Petroleum and Chemical Industry Key Laboratory of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Membrane, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
Guanghui Li: Petroleum and Chemical Industry Key Laboratory of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Membrane, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
Minsheng Huang: Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Yan He: Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-24

Abstract: Rivers are not only a vital part of the Earth’s water cycle but also sources and sinks for greenhouse gases (GHGs), exerting a significant influence on the global carbon budget. Rapid urbanization and intense human activities lead to water pollution and river habitat degradation, thereby affecting riverine greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions indirectly. Artificial management and restoration measures taken for rivers further increase the uncertainty of GHG emissions from rivers. In the context of carbon neutrality goals, research on GHG emissions from rivers has gradually become a hot topic. However, there is a scarcity of collective and comparative studies on the spatiotemporal patterns and mechanisms of riverine GHG emissions, especially a lack of summaries exploring the impacts of pollution and restoration on GHG emissions from rivers. This work systematically reviews recent studies concerning the emissions of CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O from rivers, with a particular focus on the characteristics and driving factors. Results have shown that riverine GHG emissions exhibit significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Besides hydrological factors such as wind speed, flow velocity, rainfall, and water level, large amounts of pollutants entering rivers strongly affect the production and emission of GHGs, since nutrients, organic matter, heavy metals, microplastics, and antibiotics can alter the biogeochemical processes in river ecosystems. Remediation measures can reduce water pollution levels, but some measures may further increase the emission of GHGs from rivers. This work emphasizes the need for conducting in-depth research on the synergies between treating river pollution and reducing riverine GHG emissions. It also proposes to reinforce the monitoring of GHGs and construct emission databases of rivers for sustainable watershed management.

Keywords: spatiotemporal pattern; influencing factors; river pollutants; remediation and restoration; carbon emission mitigation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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