Integrated approach towards quantifying carbon dioxide and methane release from waste stabilization ponds

WATER RESEARCH

卷:202

Article

Bartosiewicz, Maciej^1,2  Coggins, Liah X.¹  Glaz, Patricia^1,5  Cortes, Alicia³  Bourget, Sebastien⁵  Reichwaldt, Elke S.^1,6  MacIntyre, Sally^3,4  Ghadouani, Anas¹  Laurion, Isabelle⁵ 

[1] Univ Western Australia, Dept Civil Environm & Min Engn, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia

[2] Univ Basel, Dept Environm Sci, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland

[3] Univ Calif Santa Barbara, Inst Marine Sci, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA

[4] Univ Calif Santa Barbara, Dept Ecol Evolut & Marine Biol, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA

[5] Inst Natl Rech Sci, Ctr Eau Terre Environm, 490 Rue Couronne, Quebec City, PQ G1K 9A9, Canada

[6] Dept Water & Environm Regulat, Locked Bag 10, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia

关键词: Waste stabilization ponds;    Greenhouse gases;    Carbon dioxide;    Methane;    Ebullition flux;    Wastewater treatment;    Global warming potential;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.watres.2021.117389

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Accurate estimations of gaseous emissions and carbon sequestration in wastewater processing are essential for the design, operation and planning of treatment infrastructure, particularly considering greenhouse gas reduction targets. In this study, we look at the interplay between biological productivity, hydrodynamics and evasion of carbon-based greenhouse gases (GHG) through diffusion and ebullition in order to provide direction for more accurate assessments of their emissions from waste stabilization ponds (WSPs). The ponds stratified in the day and mixed at night. Buoyancy flux contributed between 40 and 75% to turbulence in the water column during nocturnal cooling events, and the associated mixing lead to increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) concentrations by up to an order of magnitude in the surface. The onset of stratification and phytoplankton surface blooms, associated with high pH as well as low and variable CO2 partial pressure resulted in an overall reduction of CO2 efflux. Ebullition represented between 40 and 99% of the total CH4 efflux, and up to 95% of the integrated GHG release during wastewater treatment (in CO2 equivalents). Hydrodynamic conditions, diurnal variability and ebullition need to be accounted for reliable assessments of GHG emissions from WSPs. Our study is an important step towards gaining a deeper understanding in the functioning of these hot spots of carbon processing. The contribution of WSPs to atmospheric GHG budget is likely to increase with population growth unless their performance is improved in this regard.

【 授权许可】

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