1
|
Chen J, Wang H, Yin W, Wang Y, Lv J, Wang A. Deciphering carbon emissions in urban sewer networks: Bridging urban sewer networks with city-wide environmental dynamics. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 256:121576. [PMID: 38608619 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaji Chen
- 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
| | - Hongcheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Wanxin Yin
- College of the Environment, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
| | - Yuqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiaqiang Lv
- 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
| | - AiJie Wang
- 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.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Joo J, Jeong S, Shin J, Chang DY. Missing methane emissions from urban sewer networks. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 342:123101. [PMID: 38072016 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Methane emissions from sewer networks are an important source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) but are not currently reflected in the national GHG inventory. We found significant CH4 emissions of approximately 573 [395-831] CH4 t y-1 from sewer networks in the old residential and commercial areas of Seoul (Gwanak district) using an electric vehicle-based atmospheric GHG monitoring platform. The majority of ethane-to-methane ratios (<0.005) from the observations further suggest that distinctive CH4 emissions from sewer networks are likely related to microbial activity rather than to simple natural gas leakage. Because over 90% of the sewer network in Seoul is a gravity drain type of combined sewer network, where both wastewater and stormwater flow through the same pipes, resulting in the generation of methane emissions from the microbial activity and the manholes and rain gutters, which are directly connected to the combined sewer networks are major sources of atmospheric methane emissions. This study suggests that appropriate treatment of sewer networks can mitigate missing methane emissions in cities that were not originally included in GHG inventory of South Korea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaewon Joo
- Environmental Planning Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Climate Tech Center, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
| | - Sujong Jeong
- Department of Environmental Planning, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea; Climate Tech Center, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jaewon Shin
- Environmental Planning Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Climate Tech Center, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Yeong Chang
- Department of Environmental Planning, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea; Climate Tech Center, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Williams JP, Ars S, Vogel F, Regehr A, Kang M. Differentiating and Mitigating Methane Emissions from Fugitive Leaks from Natural Gas Distribution, Historic Landfills, and Manholes in Montréal, Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:16686-16694. [PMID: 36375177 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Rapidly reducing urban methane (CH4) emissions is a critical component of strategies aimed at limiting climate change. Individual source measurements provide the details necessary to develop actionable mitigation strategies and are highly complementary to mobile surveys and other top-down methods. Here, we perform 615 individual source measurements in Montréal, Canada, to quantify CH4 emissions from historic landfills, manholes, and fugitive emissions from natural gas (NG) distribution systems. We find that in 2020, historic landfills produced 901 (452 to 1541, 95% c.i.) tons of CH4, manholes emitted 786 (32 to 2602, 95% c.i.) tons of CH4, and NG distribution systems emitted 451 (176-843, 95% c.i.) tons of CH4, placing them all within the top four CH4 sources in Montréal. Methane emissions from both historic landfills and manholes are not accounted for in any greenhouse gas inventory. We find that geochemistry alone cannot positively identify source subcategories (e.g., type of manhole or NG infrastructure) in almost all cases, although C2/C1 ratios can distinguish NG distribution sources from biogenic sources (historic landfills and manholes). Using our individual source measurement data, we show that historic landfills have the greatest potential for CH4 reductions but the highest mitigation costs, unless we target the highest emitting landfills. In contrast, CH4 emissions from manholes can be reduced at low costs, but reduction methods are commercially unavailable. For NG distribution, methods such as increasing repair rates for high-emitting industrial meters can greatly reduce mitigation costs and emissions. Overall, our results highlight the role of individual source measurements in developing actionable CH4 mitigation strategies to meet municipal, regional, and national climate action plans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James P Williams
- Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Sebastien Ars
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Climate Research Division, Toronto, Ontario M3H 5T4, Canada
| | - Felix Vogel
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Climate Research Division, Toronto, Ontario M3H 5T4, Canada
| | - Amara Regehr
- Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Mary Kang
- Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0G4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fluegge K. A model of lipid dysregulation and altered nutrient status in Alzheimer's disease. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (NEW YORK, N. Y.) 2019; 5:139-145. [PMID: 31065583 PMCID: PMC6495090 DOI: 10.1016/j.trci.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Dysregulated lipid metabolism and nutrient status are thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the precise involvement is not well understood, and it remains unclear exactly how such dysregulated lipid metabolism and altered nutrient status, especially changes in phosphatidylcholine, B12, and folate, are connected to the hallmark pathology in AD (i.e., amyloidogenesis). METHODS We have postulated that genetic susceptibility (i.e., APOE ε4/ε4) to environmental exposure to emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) could underlie the onset of AD and its early neuropsychiatric correlates. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The current theoretical editorial describes, using clinical, preclinical, and in vitro evidences, how this model contributes not only to amyloidogenesis but also other nonopioid effects, specifically altered lipid metabolism, depletion of vitamin B12, and disruption of the folate-mediated one carbon metabolic pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keith Fluegge
- Institute of Health and Environmental Research, Columbus OH 43220
| |
Collapse
|