With the introduction of the goal of carbon neutrality, the efficient resource recycling of municipal sludge has been given increasing attention. In order to scientifically evaluate the routes of sludge treatment and disposal from the perspective of carbon emissions, four typical routes were chosen for accounting the carbon emissions per ton for dry sludge (DS). Based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), combined with Chinese sludge characteristics, carbon emissions were divided into three types:the direct emissions, indirect emissions, and carbon offsets, and accounting boundaries were initiated at sludge thickening and ended at products or energies. The results showed that the total carbon emission of R4 (gravity thickening+thermal hydrolysis+anaerobic digestion+plate and frame filter pressing+transportation+land utilization) was 99.41 kg·t-1(calculated as CO2/DS, same below), which was the route with lowest carbon emissions. If the fugitive emission of CH4 from anaerobic digestion was avoided, the route (R4) could achieve carbon neutrality at this stage. Process units with larger carbon emissions should focus on optimization to reduce the carbon emissions, such as through thermal drying (1049.24 kg·t-1), deep dewatering (960.99 kg·t-1), sanitary landfill (786.24 kg·t-1), incineration (635.52 kg·t-1), aerobic composting (614.17 kg·t-1), and thermal hydrolysis (544.67 kg·t-1). The main carbon offsets were the incineration power generation (-1440.29 kg·t-1), CH4 collection of anaerobic digestion (-435.06 kg·t-1), land utilization (-415.83 kg·t-1), and building materials utilization (-169.75 kg·t-1). In summary, "anaerobic digestion and land utilization" has a great potential for carbon offsets, which should be advocated for as the widely used treatment.
Keywords: carbon emissions accounting; carbon neutrality; carbon offsets; greenhouse gases; municipal sludge; sludge treatment and disposal.