US EPA

1571994 

Journal Article 

Nitrous oxide emissions from a typical northern Chinese municipal wastewater treatment plant 

Wang, J; Zhang, J; Wang, J; Qi, P; Ren, Y; Hu, Z 

2011 

Yes 

Desalination and Water Treatment
ISSN: 1944-3994
EISSN: 1944-3986 

32 

1-3 

145-152 

10.5004/dwt.2011.2691 

WOS:000297923600021 

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a typical full-scale
tertiary municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in northern China were investigated during
spring and summer of 2010. Results showed that the major emission sources of N2O performed the
following descending order: oxic tanks, final clarifier tanks, anoxic tanks, sludge concentration
tanks and anaerobic tanks. The total annual N2O flux from the oxic tanks was the highest and
accounted for the majority of total N2O emissions of this WWTP. The emission factors derived from
the field measurements included per capita emissions of 1.73-2.19 g of N2O person(-1) y(-1) and
flow based emissions of 2.37x10(-5)-3.01x10(-5) g of N2O (L of wastewater)(-1). The N2O emissions
accounted for approximately 0.10%-0.13% of the total nitrogen removed in this WWTP. The most
significant factors influencing N2O emissions in this plant were dissolved oxygen concentration
and nitrite concentration in the oxic tanks. 

Wastewater treatment plant; Nitrous oxide; Greenhouse gas emission; Nitrification; Denitrification