Underestimation of Sector-Wide Methane Emissions from United States Wastewater Treatment

Daniel P. Moore; Nathan P. Li; Lars P. Wendt; Sierra R. Castañeda; Mark M. Falinski; Jun Jie Zhu; Cuihong Song; Zhiyong Jason Ren; Mark A. Zondlo

doi:10.1021/acs.est.2c05373

Underestimation of Sector-Wide Methane Emissions from United States Wastewater Treatment

Daniel P. Moore, Nathan P. Li, Lars P. Wendt, Sierra R. Castañeda, Mark M. Falinski, Jun Jie Zhu, Cuihong Song, Zhiyong Jason Ren, Mark A. Zondlo

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

An increasing percentage of US waste methane (CH₄) emissions come from wastewater treatment (10% in 1990 to 14% in 2019), although there are limited measurements across the sector, leading to large uncertainties in current inventories. We conducted the largest study of CH₄ emissions from US wastewater treatment, measuring 63 plants with average daily flows ranging from 4.2 × 10^-4 to 8.5 m³ s^-1 (<0.1 to 193 MGD), totaling 2% of the 62.5 billion gallons treated, nationally. We employed Bayesian inference to quantify facility-integrated emission rates with a mobile laboratory approach (1165 cross-plume transects). The median plant-averaged emission rate was 1.1 g CH₄ s^-1 (0.1-21.6 g CH₄ s^-1; 10th/90th percentiles; mean 7.9 g CH₄ s^-1), and the median emission factor was 3.4 × 10^-2 g CH₄ (g influent 5 day biochemical oxygen demand; BOD₅)⁻¹ [0.6-9.9 × 10^-2 g CH₄ (g BOD₅)⁻¹; 10th/90th percentiles; mean 5.7 × 10^-2 g CH₄ (g BOD₅)⁻¹]. Using a Monte Carlo-based scaling of measured emission factors, emissions from US centrally treated domestic wastewater are 1.9 (95% CI: 1.5-2.4) times greater than the current US EPA inventory (bias of 5.4 MMT CO₂-eq). With increasing urbanization and centralized treatment, efforts to identify and mitigate CH₄ emissions are needed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	4082-4090
Number of pages	9
Journal	Environmental Science and Technology
Volume	57
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c05373
State	Published - Mar 14 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
Environmental Chemistry

Keywords

aerobic treatment
anaerobic treatment
greenhouse gas emissions inventory
inverse Gaussian dispersion model
methane
mobile measurements
wastewater treatment emissions
wastewater treatment plant

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10.1021/acs.est.2c05373

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@article{563b017064cf4d2f91cdb471b0842e60,

title = "Underestimation of Sector-Wide Methane Emissions from United States Wastewater Treatment",

abstract = "An increasing percentage of US waste methane (CH4) emissions come from wastewater treatment (10% in 1990 to 14% in 2019), although there are limited measurements across the sector, leading to large uncertainties in current inventories. We conducted the largest study of CH4 emissions from US wastewater treatment, measuring 63 plants with average daily flows ranging from 4.2 × 10-4 to 8.5 m3 s-1 (<0.1 to 193 MGD), totaling 2% of the 62.5 billion gallons treated, nationally. We employed Bayesian inference to quantify facility-integrated emission rates with a mobile laboratory approach (1165 cross-plume transects). The median plant-averaged emission rate was 1.1 g CH4 s-1 (0.1-21.6 g CH4 s-1; 10th/90th percentiles; mean 7.9 g CH4 s-1), and the median emission factor was 3.4 × 10-2 g CH4 (g influent 5 day biochemical oxygen demand; BOD5)−1 [0.6-9.9 × 10-2 g CH4 (g BOD5)−1; 10th/90th percentiles; mean 5.7 × 10-2 g CH4 (g BOD5)−1]. Using a Monte Carlo-based scaling of measured emission factors, emissions from US centrally treated domestic wastewater are 1.9 (95% CI: 1.5-2.4) times greater than the current US EPA inventory (bias of 5.4 MMT CO2-eq). With increasing urbanization and centralized treatment, efforts to identify and mitigate CH4 emissions are needed.",

keywords = "aerobic treatment, anaerobic treatment, greenhouse gas emissions inventory, inverse Gaussian dispersion model, methane, mobile measurements, wastewater treatment emissions, wastewater treatment plant",

author = "Moore, {Daniel P.} and Li, {Nathan P.} and Wendt, {Lars P.} and Casta{\~n}eda, {Sierra R.} and Falinski, {Mark M.} and Zhu, {Jun Jie} and Cuihong Song and Ren, {Zhiyong Jason} and Zondlo, {Mark A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.",

year = "2023",

month = mar,

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doi = "10.1021/acs.est.2c05373",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "57",

pages = "4082--4090",

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T1 - Underestimation of Sector-Wide Methane Emissions from United States Wastewater Treatment

AU - Moore, Daniel P.

AU - Li, Nathan P.

AU - Wendt, Lars P.

AU - Castañeda, Sierra R.

AU - Falinski, Mark M.

AU - Zhu, Jun Jie

AU - Song, Cuihong

AU - Ren, Zhiyong Jason

AU - Zondlo, Mark A.

PY - 2023/3/14

Y1 - 2023/3/14

N2 - An increasing percentage of US waste methane (CH4) emissions come from wastewater treatment (10% in 1990 to 14% in 2019), although there are limited measurements across the sector, leading to large uncertainties in current inventories. We conducted the largest study of CH4 emissions from US wastewater treatment, measuring 63 plants with average daily flows ranging from 4.2 × 10-4 to 8.5 m3 s-1 (<0.1 to 193 MGD), totaling 2% of the 62.5 billion gallons treated, nationally. We employed Bayesian inference to quantify facility-integrated emission rates with a mobile laboratory approach (1165 cross-plume transects). The median plant-averaged emission rate was 1.1 g CH4 s-1 (0.1-21.6 g CH4 s-1; 10th/90th percentiles; mean 7.9 g CH4 s-1), and the median emission factor was 3.4 × 10-2 g CH4 (g influent 5 day biochemical oxygen demand; BOD5)−1 [0.6-9.9 × 10-2 g CH4 (g BOD5)−1; 10th/90th percentiles; mean 5.7 × 10-2 g CH4 (g BOD5)−1]. Using a Monte Carlo-based scaling of measured emission factors, emissions from US centrally treated domestic wastewater are 1.9 (95% CI: 1.5-2.4) times greater than the current US EPA inventory (bias of 5.4 MMT CO2-eq). With increasing urbanization and centralized treatment, efforts to identify and mitigate CH4 emissions are needed.

AB - An increasing percentage of US waste methane (CH4) emissions come from wastewater treatment (10% in 1990 to 14% in 2019), although there are limited measurements across the sector, leading to large uncertainties in current inventories. We conducted the largest study of CH4 emissions from US wastewater treatment, measuring 63 plants with average daily flows ranging from 4.2 × 10-4 to 8.5 m3 s-1 (<0.1 to 193 MGD), totaling 2% of the 62.5 billion gallons treated, nationally. We employed Bayesian inference to quantify facility-integrated emission rates with a mobile laboratory approach (1165 cross-plume transects). The median plant-averaged emission rate was 1.1 g CH4 s-1 (0.1-21.6 g CH4 s-1; 10th/90th percentiles; mean 7.9 g CH4 s-1), and the median emission factor was 3.4 × 10-2 g CH4 (g influent 5 day biochemical oxygen demand; BOD5)−1 [0.6-9.9 × 10-2 g CH4 (g BOD5)−1; 10th/90th percentiles; mean 5.7 × 10-2 g CH4 (g BOD5)−1]. Using a Monte Carlo-based scaling of measured emission factors, emissions from US centrally treated domestic wastewater are 1.9 (95% CI: 1.5-2.4) times greater than the current US EPA inventory (bias of 5.4 MMT CO2-eq). With increasing urbanization and centralized treatment, efforts to identify and mitigate CH4 emissions are needed.

KW - aerobic treatment

KW - anaerobic treatment

KW - greenhouse gas emissions inventory

KW - inverse Gaussian dispersion model

KW - methane

KW - mobile measurements

KW - wastewater treatment emissions

KW - wastewater treatment plant

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JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

IS - 10

ER -

Underestimation of Sector-Wide Methane Emissions from United States Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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