Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from municipal wastewater treatment in China

Yindong Tong; Xiawei Liao; Yanying He; Xiaomei Cui; Marcus Wishart; Feng Zhao; Yulian Liao; Yingxin Zhao; Xuebin Lv; Jiawen Xie; Yiwen Liu; Guanyi Chen; Li'an Hou

doi:10.1016/j.ese.2023.100341

Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from municipal wastewater treatment in China

Environ Sci Ecotechnol. 2023 Nov 13:20:100341. doi: 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100341. eCollection 2024 Jul.

Authors

Yindong Tong^{1

2}, Xiawei Liao³, Yanying He², Xiaomei Cui¹, Marcus Wishart⁴, Feng Zhao², Yulian Liao², Yingxin Zhao², Xuebin Lv², Jiawen Xie², Yiwen Liu², Guanyi Chen^{1

2

5}, Li'an Hou²

Affiliations

¹ School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850012, China.
² School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
³ Bay Area International Business School, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, 519087, China.
⁴ The World Bank, Washington D.C., 20433, USA.
⁵ School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin, 300134, China.

Abstract

Municipal wastewater treatment plays an indispensable role in enhancing water quality by eliminating contaminants. While the process is vital, its environmental footprint, especially in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, remains underexplored. Here we offer a comprehensive assessment of GHG emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across China. Our analyses reveal an estimated 1.54 (0.92-2.65) × 10⁴ Gg release of GHGs (CO₂-eq) in 2020, with a dominant contribution from N₂O emissions and electricity consumption. We can foresee a 60-65% reduction potential in GHG emissions with promising advancements in wastewater treatment, such as cutting-edge biological techniques, intelligent wastewater strategies, and a shift towards renewable energy sources.

Keywords: Advanced technology; China; Greenhouse gas emission; Pollutant removal; Wastewater treatment.