Deciphering carbon emissions in urban sewer networks: Bridging urban sewer networks with city-wide environmental dynamics

Jiaji Chen; Hongcheng Wang; Wanxin Yin; Yuqi Wang; Jiaqiang Lv; AiJie Wang

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2024.121576

Deciphering carbon emissions in urban sewer networks: Bridging urban sewer networks with city-wide environmental dynamics

Water Res. 2024 Jun 1:256:121576. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121576. Epub 2024 Apr 6.

Authors

Jiaji Chen¹, Hongcheng Wang², Wanxin Yin³, Yuqi Wang⁴, Jiaqiang Lv⁵, AiJie Wang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Lab of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China; Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China; Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China. Electronic address: wanghongcheng@hit.edu.cn.
³ College of the Environment, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
⁶ Key Lab of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China. Electronic address: wangaj0578@hit.edu.cn.

PMID: 38608619
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121576

Abstract

As urbanization accelerates, understanding and managing carbon emissions from urban sewer networks have become crucial for sustainable urban water cycles. This review examines the factors influencing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within urban sewage systems, analyzing the complex effects between water quality, hydrodynamics, and sewer infrastructure on GHG production and emission processes. It reveals significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity in GHG emissions, particularly under long-term scenarios where flow rates and temperatures exhibit strong impacts and correlations. Given the presence of fugitive and dissolved potential GHGs, standardized monitoring and accounting methods are deemed essential. Advanced modeling techniques emerge as crucial tools for large-scale carbon emission prediction and management. The review identifies that traditional definitions and computational frameworks for carbon emission boundaries fail to fully consider the inherent heterogeneity of sewers and the dynamic changes and impacts of multi-source pollution within the sewer system during the urban water cycle. This includes irregular fugitive emissions, the influence of stormwater systems, climate change, geographical features, sewer design, and the impacts of food waste and antibiotics. Key strategies for emission management are discussed, focusing on the need for careful consideration of approaches that might inadvertently increase global emissions, such as ventilation, chemical treatments, and water management practices. The review advocates for an overarching strategy that encompasses a holistic view of carbon emissions, stressing the importance of refined emission boundary definitions, novel accounting practices, and comprehensive management schemes in line with the water treatment sector's move towards carbon neutrality. It champions the adoption of interdisciplinary, technologically advanced solutions to mitigate pollution and reduce carbon emissions, emphasizing the importance of integrating cross-scale issues and other environmentally friendly measures in future research directions.

Keywords: Carbon emission; Green house gas; Modelling; Sustainable urban water management; Urban sewer networks.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Carbon* / analysis
Cities*
Environmental Monitoring
Greenhouse Gases / analysis
Sewage*
Urbanization

Substances

Sewage
Carbon
Greenhouse Gases