Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emission Factors in Wastewater Treatment

Haiyan Yang, Zhe Wang (), Xuerong Zhang and Haoruo Lu
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Haiyan Yang: Beijing Climate Change Research and Talent Training Base, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
Zhe Wang: Beijing Climate Change Research and Talent Training Base, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
Xuerong Zhang: Beijing Climate Change Research and Talent Training Base, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
Haoruo Lu: Beijing Climate Change Research and Talent Training Base, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: In the context of combating climate change, accurately evaluating the environmental impact of wastewater treatment is of great significance for sustainable development. This study centers on two methods for determining greenhouse gas emission factors in wastewater treatment. One approach calculates per-unit-volume emission factors by utilizing measured greenhouse gas data and the volume of treated water. When measured data are unavailable, an alternative method is adopted to obtain empirical values. Wastewater treatment plant A, with its relatively large scale and certain monitoring capabilities, can acquire partially measured data on greenhouse gas emissions from its treatment units. Thus, both the emission factor measurement method and the empirical value calculation method were utilized to analyze the greenhouse gas emission characteristics and compare the differences in accounting results. For this plant, the average measured values of CH₄ and N₂O emissions were 0.0304 kg CO₂-eq/m 3 and 0.0343 kg CO₂-eq/m 3 , respectively. In contrast, the empirical values were 0.0505 kg CO₂-eq/m 3 for CH₄ and 0.0711 kg CO₂-eq/m 3 for N₂O. Wastewater treatment plant B, due to its smaller scale, currently lacks the conditions for on-site greenhouse gas measurement. Consequently, only the empirical value calculation method could be used to analyze its greenhouse gas emission characteristics. Its empirical CH₄ and N₂O values were 0.0645 kg CO₂-eq/m 3 and 0.1135 kg CO₂-eq/m 3 , respectively.

Keywords: greenhouse gas emissions; wastewater treatment plant; CH₄; N₂O; emission factor method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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