Wastewater methanol use: A surprisingly significant scope-1 GHG emission source

John L. Willis; Robert Bastian; Bill Brower; Christine DeBarbadillo; Sudhir Murthy; Ahmed Al-Omari; Christopher Peot; Zhiguo Yuan

doi:10.2175/193864716819715400

Wastewater methanol use: A surprisingly significant scope-1 GHG emission source

John L. Willis^*
, Robert Bastian
, Bill Brower
, Christine DeBarbadillo
, Sudhir Murthy
, Ahmed Al-Omari
, Christopher Peot
, Zhiguo Yuan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary Works › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication) › peer-review

Abstract

Many wastewater treatment facilities use methanol as a carbon source to enable biological denitrification of nitrate produced from ammonia through nitrification. GHG reporting protocols fairly uniformly account for methanol combustion as a Scope-1 emission and manufacturing energy and emissions as a Scope-3 GHG source. Only ICLEI’s (2012) more-recently-published U.S. Community Protocol’s identifies a methodology to account for the liberation of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions attributable to the addition of methanol. The prior oversight was likely attributable to a belief that CO₂ produced through activated-sludge-process respiration is biogenic; raw sewage carbon being previously un-sequestered prior to entering a water resource recovery facility (WRRF). However, the biogenic categorization does not apply to fossil-fuel-derived carbon sources added for WRRF operations. This paper provides a case study as to the significance of these emissions using the Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant (AWTP) in Washington, DC where methanol CO₂ represented 70% and 82% of the AWTP’s Scope-1 GHG emissions, before and after enhanced digestion upgrades, respectively. Copyright ©2016 Water Environment Federation.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference
Publisher	Water Environment Federation
Pages	5860-5864
Volume	9
ISBN (Print)	9781510870475
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2175/193864716819715400
Publication status	Published - 2016
Externally published	Yes
Event	89th Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference, WEFTEC 2016 - New Orleans, United States Duration: 24 Sept 2016 → 28 Sept 2016

Publication series

Name	WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference
Volume	9

Conference

Conference	89th Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference, WEFTEC 2016
Place	United States
City	New Orleans
Period	24/09/16 → 28/09/16

Bibliographical note

Publication details (e.g. title, author(s), publication statuses and dates) are captured on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis at the time of record harvesting from the data source. Suggestions for further amendments or supplementary information can be sent to [email protected].

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 13 Climate Action

Research Keywords

Advanced digestion
Carbon footprint
Denitrification
Greenhouse gases
Methanol

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10.2175/193864716819715400

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Cite this

Willis, J. L., Bastian, R., Brower, B., DeBarbadillo, C., Murthy, S., Al-Omari, A., Peot, C., & Yuan, Z. (2016). Wastewater methanol use: A surprisingly significant scope-1 GHG emission source. In WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference (Vol. 9, pp. 5860-5864). (WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference; Vol. 9). Water Environment Federation. https://doi.org/10.2175/193864716819715400

Willis, John L. ; Bastian, Robert ; Brower, Bill et al. / Wastewater methanol use : A surprisingly significant scope-1 GHG emission source. WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference. Vol. 9 Water Environment Federation, 2016. pp. 5860-5864 (WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference).

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title = "Wastewater methanol use: A surprisingly significant scope-1 GHG emission source",

abstract = "Many wastewater treatment facilities use methanol as a carbon source to enable biological denitrification of nitrate produced from ammonia through nitrification. GHG reporting protocols fairly uniformly account for methanol combustion as a Scope-1 emission and manufacturing energy and emissions as a Scope-3 GHG source. Only ICLEI{\textquoteright}s (2012) more-recently-published U.S. Community Protocol{\textquoteright}s identifies a methodology to account for the liberation of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions attributable to the addition of methanol. The prior oversight was likely attributable to a belief that CO2 produced through activated-sludge-process respiration is biogenic; raw sewage carbon being previously un-sequestered prior to entering a water resource recovery facility (WRRF). However, the biogenic categorization does not apply to fossil-fuel-derived carbon sources added for WRRF operations. This paper provides a case study as to the significance of these emissions using the Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant (AWTP) in Washington, DC where methanol CO2 represented 70\% and 82\% of the AWTP{\textquoteright}s Scope-1 GHG emissions, before and after enhanced digestion upgrades, respectively. Copyright {\textcopyright}2016 Water Environment Federation.",

keywords = "Advanced digestion, Carbon footprint, Denitrification, Greenhouse gases, Methanol",

author = "Willis, \{John L.\} and Robert Bastian and Bill Brower and Christine DeBarbadillo and Sudhir Murthy and Ahmed Al-Omari and Christopher Peot and Zhiguo Yuan",

note = "Publication details (e.g. title, author(s), publication statuses and dates) are captured on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis at the time of record harvesting from the data source. Suggestions for further amendments or supplementary information can be sent to [email protected].; 89th Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference, WEFTEC 2016 ; Conference date: 24-09-2016 Through 28-09-2016",

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Willis, JL, Bastian, R, Brower, B, DeBarbadillo, C, Murthy, S, Al-Omari, A, Peot, C & Yuan, Z 2016, Wastewater methanol use: A surprisingly significant scope-1 GHG emission source. in WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference. vol. 9, WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference, vol. 9, Water Environment Federation, pp. 5860-5864, 89th Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference, WEFTEC 2016, New Orleans, United States, 24/09/16. https://doi.org/10.2175/193864716819715400

Wastewater methanol use: A surprisingly significant scope-1 GHG emission source. / Willis, John L.; Bastian, Robert; Brower, Bill et al.
WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference. Vol. 9 Water Environment Federation, 2016. p. 5860-5864 (WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference; Vol. 9).

Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary Works › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication) › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Wastewater methanol use

T2 - 89th Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference, WEFTEC 2016

AU - Willis, John L.

AU - Bastian, Robert

AU - Brower, Bill

AU - DeBarbadillo, Christine

AU - Murthy, Sudhir

AU - Al-Omari, Ahmed

AU - Peot, Christopher

AU - Yuan, Zhiguo

N1 - Publication details (e.g. title, author(s), publication statuses and dates) are captured on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis at the time of record harvesting from the data source. Suggestions for further amendments or supplementary information can be sent to [email protected].

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Many wastewater treatment facilities use methanol as a carbon source to enable biological denitrification of nitrate produced from ammonia through nitrification. GHG reporting protocols fairly uniformly account for methanol combustion as a Scope-1 emission and manufacturing energy and emissions as a Scope-3 GHG source. Only ICLEI’s (2012) more-recently-published U.S. Community Protocol’s identifies a methodology to account for the liberation of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions attributable to the addition of methanol. The prior oversight was likely attributable to a belief that CO2 produced through activated-sludge-process respiration is biogenic; raw sewage carbon being previously un-sequestered prior to entering a water resource recovery facility (WRRF). However, the biogenic categorization does not apply to fossil-fuel-derived carbon sources added for WRRF operations. This paper provides a case study as to the significance of these emissions using the Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant (AWTP) in Washington, DC where methanol CO2 represented 70% and 82% of the AWTP’s Scope-1 GHG emissions, before and after enhanced digestion upgrades, respectively. Copyright ©2016 Water Environment Federation.

AB - Many wastewater treatment facilities use methanol as a carbon source to enable biological denitrification of nitrate produced from ammonia through nitrification. GHG reporting protocols fairly uniformly account for methanol combustion as a Scope-1 emission and manufacturing energy and emissions as a Scope-3 GHG source. Only ICLEI’s (2012) more-recently-published U.S. Community Protocol’s identifies a methodology to account for the liberation of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions attributable to the addition of methanol. The prior oversight was likely attributable to a belief that CO2 produced through activated-sludge-process respiration is biogenic; raw sewage carbon being previously un-sequestered prior to entering a water resource recovery facility (WRRF). However, the biogenic categorization does not apply to fossil-fuel-derived carbon sources added for WRRF operations. This paper provides a case study as to the significance of these emissions using the Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant (AWTP) in Washington, DC where methanol CO2 represented 70% and 82% of the AWTP’s Scope-1 GHG emissions, before and after enhanced digestion upgrades, respectively. Copyright ©2016 Water Environment Federation.

KW - Advanced digestion

KW - Carbon footprint

KW - Denitrification

KW - Greenhouse gases

KW - Methanol

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85070671724

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85070671724&origin=recordpage

U2 - 10.2175/193864716819715400

DO - 10.2175/193864716819715400

M3 - RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication)

SN - 9781510870475

VL - 9

T3 - WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference

SP - 5860

EP - 5864

BT - WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference

PB - Water Environment Federation

Y2 - 24 September 2016 through 28 September 2016

ER -

Willis JL, Bastian R, Brower B, DeBarbadillo C, Murthy S, Al-Omari A et al. Wastewater methanol use: A surprisingly significant scope-1 GHG emission source. In WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference. Vol. 9. Water Environment Federation. 2016. p. 5860-5864. (WEFTEC 2016 - 89th Water Environment Federation Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference). doi: 10.2175/193864716819715400

Wastewater methanol use: A surprisingly significant scope-1 GHG emission source

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Research Keywords

Access Output

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