Carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment - A systematic concept beyond the plant boundary
Recently, every industry has been working to achieve carbon neutrality, and the wastewater sector is no exception. However, little research focuses on the carbon accounting of wastewater treatment and the roadmap to carbon neutrality. Here, to systematically perform accounting, we provide a sketch t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Environmental Science and Ecotechnology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498422000369 |
| _version_ | 1818470960125181952 |
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| author | Lanqing Li Xiuheng Wang Jingyu Miao Aliya Abulimiti Xinsheng Jing Nanqi Ren |
| author_facet | Lanqing Li Xiuheng Wang Jingyu Miao Aliya Abulimiti Xinsheng Jing Nanqi Ren |
| author_sort | Lanqing Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recently, every industry has been working to achieve carbon neutrality, and the wastewater sector is no exception. However, little research focuses on the carbon accounting of wastewater treatment and the roadmap to carbon neutrality. Here, to systematically perform accounting, we provide a sketch that describes three boundaries of the wastewater system and propose that the carbon neutrality of the wastewater system is far beyond the plant boundary. Moreover, we identify the direct and indirect carbon emissions of wastewater treatment. In addition to direct emissions of CH4 and N2O, direct fossil CO2 emissions from wastewater treatment should be included in accounting to set accurate guidelines. Next, the technologies that assist in achieving carbon-neutral wastewater treatment both within-the-fence of wastewater treatment plants and beyond the plant boundary are summarized. All measurements of energy recovery, resource recovery, and water reuse contribute to reaching this goal. The concepts of energy neutrality and carbon neutrality are identified. Successful wastewater treatment cases in energy self-sufficiency may not achieve carbon neutrality. Meanwhile, resource recovery methods are encouraged, especially to produce carbon-based materials. Ultimately, the trend of preference for the decentralized sewage treatment system is pinpointed, and systematic thinking to set the urban infrastructure layout as a whole is advocated. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:44:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-851a1f47c34a4449bb26ef19a133a316 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-4984 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:44:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Science and Ecotechnology |
| spelling | doaj.art-851a1f47c34a4449bb26ef19a133a3162022-12-22T02:28:39ZengElsevierEnvironmental Science and Ecotechnology2666-49842022-07-0111100180Carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment - A systematic concept beyond the plant boundaryLanqing Li0Xiuheng Wang1Jingyu Miao2Aliya Abulimiti3Xinsheng Jing4Nanqi Ren5State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, PR China; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518055, China; Corresponding author. State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, PR China.Recently, every industry has been working to achieve carbon neutrality, and the wastewater sector is no exception. However, little research focuses on the carbon accounting of wastewater treatment and the roadmap to carbon neutrality. Here, to systematically perform accounting, we provide a sketch that describes three boundaries of the wastewater system and propose that the carbon neutrality of the wastewater system is far beyond the plant boundary. Moreover, we identify the direct and indirect carbon emissions of wastewater treatment. In addition to direct emissions of CH4 and N2O, direct fossil CO2 emissions from wastewater treatment should be included in accounting to set accurate guidelines. Next, the technologies that assist in achieving carbon-neutral wastewater treatment both within-the-fence of wastewater treatment plants and beyond the plant boundary are summarized. All measurements of energy recovery, resource recovery, and water reuse contribute to reaching this goal. The concepts of energy neutrality and carbon neutrality are identified. Successful wastewater treatment cases in energy self-sufficiency may not achieve carbon neutrality. Meanwhile, resource recovery methods are encouraged, especially to produce carbon-based materials. Ultimately, the trend of preference for the decentralized sewage treatment system is pinpointed, and systematic thinking to set the urban infrastructure layout as a whole is advocated.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498422000369Carbon neutralityWastewater treatmentFossil CO2 emissionsSystem boundariesSystematic thinking |
| spellingShingle | Lanqing Li Xiuheng Wang Jingyu Miao Aliya Abulimiti Xinsheng Jing Nanqi Ren Carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment - A systematic concept beyond the plant boundary Environmental Science and Ecotechnology Carbon neutrality Wastewater treatment Fossil CO2 emissions System boundaries Systematic thinking |
| title | Carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment - A systematic concept beyond the plant boundary |
| title_full | Carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment - A systematic concept beyond the plant boundary |
| title_fullStr | Carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment - A systematic concept beyond the plant boundary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment - A systematic concept beyond the plant boundary |
| title_short | Carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment - A systematic concept beyond the plant boundary |
| title_sort | carbon neutrality of wastewater treatment a systematic concept beyond the plant boundary |
| topic | Carbon neutrality Wastewater treatment Fossil CO2 emissions System boundaries Systematic thinking |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498422000369 |
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