Contribution of On-Site and Off-Site Processes to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions by Wastewater Treatment Plants
The estimation of overall on-site and off-site greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by wastewater treatment plants revealed that in anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems greater emissions result from off-site processes compared to on-site processes. However, in aerobic treatment systems, onsite processes make a higher contribution to the overall GHG emissions. The total GHG emissions were estimated to be 1.6, 3.3 and 3.8 kg CO2-e/kg BOD in the aerobic, anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems, respectively. In the aerobic treatment system without the recovery and use of the generated biogas, the off-site GHG emissions were 0.65 kg CO2-e/kg BOD, accounting for 40.2% of the overall GHG emissions. This value changed to 2.3 and 2.6 kg CO2-e/kg BOD, and accounted for 69.9% and 68.1% of the overall GHG emissions in the anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems, respectively. The increased off-site GHG emissions in the anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems are mainly due to material usage and energy demand in these systems. The anaerobic digester can contribute up to 100%, 55% and 60% of the overall energy needs of plants in the aerobic, anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems, respectively.
[1] M. El-Fadel and M. Massoud, "Methane emissions from wastewater
management," Environ. Pollution, vol. 114(2). pp. 177-185, 2001.
[2] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), "Climate change
2001: the scientific basis." Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
U.K. 2001.
[3] Energy Information Administration (EIA), "Emissions of greenhouse gases
report" Report #: DOE/EIA-0573, 2007.
[4] F.Y. Cakir and M.K. Stenstrom, " Greenhouse gas production: A
comparison between aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment
technology," Wat. Res., vol. 39(17), pp. 4197-4203, 2005.
[5] P.F. Greenfield and D.J. Batstone, "Anaerobic digestion: Impact of future
greenhouse gases mitigation policies on methane generation and usage,"
Wat. Sci. and Technol., vol. 52(1-2), pp. 39-47, 2005.
[6] J. Keller, and K. Hartley, "Greenhouse gas production in wastewater
treatment: Process selection is the major factor," Wat. Sci. and Technol.,
vol. 47(12), pp. 43-48. 2003.
[7] A.K. Mohareb, M. Warith, and R.M. Narbaitz, "Strategies for the
municipal solid waste sector to assist Canada in meeting Kyoto Protocol
commitments. " Environ. Rev. vol. 12(2), pp. 1-9, 2004.
[8] H.D. Monteith, H.R. Sahely, H.L. MacLean and D.M. Bagley, "A rational
procedure for estimation of greenhouse-gas emissions from municipal
wastewater treatment plants," Wat. Environ. Res., vol. 77(4), pp. 390-
403, 2005.
[9] H.R. Sahely, H.L. MacLean, H.D. Monteith and D.M. Bagley,
"Comparison of on-site and upstream greenhouse gas emissions from
Canadian municipal wastewater treatment facilities," J. Environ. Eng.
and Sci., vol. 5(5), pp. 405-415, 2006.
[10] M. Bani Shahabadi, L. Yerushalmi, and F. Haghighat, " Development of
a Mathematical Model for the Estimation Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
Generation in Wastewater Treatment Plants and its Application in the
Estimation of GHG Emissions in a Typical Hybrid Treatment System,"
Submitted to Wat. Res. 2008.
[11] P.K. Barton and J.W. Atwater, "Nitrous oxide emissions and the
anthropogenic nitrogen in wastewater and solid waste." ASCE J.
Environ. Eng., vol. 128(2), pp. 137-150, 2002.
[12] G. Tchobanoglous, F. L. Burton, H. D. Stensel, "Wastewater
Engineering: Treatment and Reuse" McGraw-Hill, New York, 2003.
[13] Z. Xu and G. Nakhla, "Pilot-scale demonstration of pre-fermentation for
enhancement of food-processing wastewater biodegradability," J.
Chem. Technol. and Biotechnol., vol. 81(4), pp. 580-587, 2006.
[14] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),"Good practice
guidance and uncertainty management in national greenhouse gas
inventories," Geneva, Switzerland, 2000.
[15] Canadian Lime Institute. Office of Energy Efficiency, "Energy
efficiency opportunity guide in the lime industry," Natural Resources
Canada, Ottawa ON, Canada. 2001.
[16] Y. Dong and M. Steinberg, "Hynol-an economical process for methanol
production from biomass and natural gas with reduced CO2 emission,"
International J. Hydrogen Energy, vol. 22(10-11), pp. 971-977. 1997.
[1] M. El-Fadel and M. Massoud, "Methane emissions from wastewater
management," Environ. Pollution, vol. 114(2). pp. 177-185, 2001.
[2] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), "Climate change
2001: the scientific basis." Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
U.K. 2001.
[3] Energy Information Administration (EIA), "Emissions of greenhouse gases
report" Report #: DOE/EIA-0573, 2007.
[4] F.Y. Cakir and M.K. Stenstrom, " Greenhouse gas production: A
comparison between aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment
technology," Wat. Res., vol. 39(17), pp. 4197-4203, 2005.
[5] P.F. Greenfield and D.J. Batstone, "Anaerobic digestion: Impact of future
greenhouse gases mitigation policies on methane generation and usage,"
Wat. Sci. and Technol., vol. 52(1-2), pp. 39-47, 2005.
[6] J. Keller, and K. Hartley, "Greenhouse gas production in wastewater
treatment: Process selection is the major factor," Wat. Sci. and Technol.,
vol. 47(12), pp. 43-48. 2003.
[7] A.K. Mohareb, M. Warith, and R.M. Narbaitz, "Strategies for the
municipal solid waste sector to assist Canada in meeting Kyoto Protocol
commitments. " Environ. Rev. vol. 12(2), pp. 1-9, 2004.
[8] H.D. Monteith, H.R. Sahely, H.L. MacLean and D.M. Bagley, "A rational
procedure for estimation of greenhouse-gas emissions from municipal
wastewater treatment plants," Wat. Environ. Res., vol. 77(4), pp. 390-
403, 2005.
[9] H.R. Sahely, H.L. MacLean, H.D. Monteith and D.M. Bagley,
"Comparison of on-site and upstream greenhouse gas emissions from
Canadian municipal wastewater treatment facilities," J. Environ. Eng.
and Sci., vol. 5(5), pp. 405-415, 2006.
[10] M. Bani Shahabadi, L. Yerushalmi, and F. Haghighat, " Development of
a Mathematical Model for the Estimation Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
Generation in Wastewater Treatment Plants and its Application in the
Estimation of GHG Emissions in a Typical Hybrid Treatment System,"
Submitted to Wat. Res. 2008.
[11] P.K. Barton and J.W. Atwater, "Nitrous oxide emissions and the
anthropogenic nitrogen in wastewater and solid waste." ASCE J.
Environ. Eng., vol. 128(2), pp. 137-150, 2002.
[12] G. Tchobanoglous, F. L. Burton, H. D. Stensel, "Wastewater
Engineering: Treatment and Reuse" McGraw-Hill, New York, 2003.
[13] Z. Xu and G. Nakhla, "Pilot-scale demonstration of pre-fermentation for
enhancement of food-processing wastewater biodegradability," J.
Chem. Technol. and Biotechnol., vol. 81(4), pp. 580-587, 2006.
[14] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),"Good practice
guidance and uncertainty management in national greenhouse gas
inventories," Geneva, Switzerland, 2000.
[15] Canadian Lime Institute. Office of Energy Efficiency, "Energy
efficiency opportunity guide in the lime industry," Natural Resources
Canada, Ottawa ON, Canada. 2001.
[16] Y. Dong and M. Steinberg, "Hynol-an economical process for methanol
production from biomass and natural gas with reduced CO2 emission,"
International J. Hydrogen Energy, vol. 22(10-11), pp. 971-977. 1997.
@article{"International Journal of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences:58796", author = "Laleh Yerushalmi and Fariborz Haghighat and Maziar Bani Shahabadi", title = "Contribution of On-Site and Off-Site Processes to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions by Wastewater Treatment Plants", abstract = "The estimation of overall on-site and off-site greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by wastewater treatment plants revealed that in anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems greater emissions result from off-site processes compared to on-site processes. However, in aerobic treatment systems, onsite processes make a higher contribution to the overall GHG emissions. The total GHG emissions were estimated to be 1.6, 3.3 and 3.8 kg CO2-e/kg BOD in the aerobic, anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems, respectively. In the aerobic treatment system without the recovery and use of the generated biogas, the off-site GHG emissions were 0.65 kg CO2-e/kg BOD, accounting for 40.2% of the overall GHG emissions. This value changed to 2.3 and 2.6 kg CO2-e/kg BOD, and accounted for 69.9% and 68.1% of the overall GHG emissions in the anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems, respectively. The increased off-site GHG emissions in the anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems are mainly due to material usage and energy demand in these systems. The anaerobic digester can contribute up to 100%, 55% and 60% of the overall energy needs of plants in the aerobic, anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems, respectively.
", keywords = "On-site and off-site greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions, wastewater treatment plants, biogas recovery", volume = "3", number = "6", pages = "167-5", }
