First Investigation of Long-Term Methane Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Using Satellite Remote Sensing
Wastewater treatment (WWT) contributes 2–9% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The noticeable uncertainty in emissions estimation is due in large part to the lack of measurement data. Several methods have recently been developed for monitoring fugitive GHG emissions from WWT. However, limited...
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MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/23/4422 |
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| author | Seyed Mostafa Mehrdad Bo Zhang Wenqi Guo Shan Du Ke Du |
| author_facet | Seyed Mostafa Mehrdad Bo Zhang Wenqi Guo Shan Du Ke Du |
| author_sort | Seyed Mostafa Mehrdad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wastewater treatment (WWT) contributes 2–9% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The noticeable uncertainty in emissions estimation is due in large part to the lack of measurement data. Several methods have recently been developed for monitoring fugitive GHG emissions from WWT. However, limited by the short duration of the monitoring, only “snapshot” data can be obtained, necessitating extrapolation of the limited data for estimating annual emissions. Extrapolation introduces substantial errors, as it fails to account for the spatial and temporal variations of fugitive emissions. This research evaluated the feasibility of studying the long-term CH<sub>4</sub> emissions from WWT by analyzing high spatial resolution Sentinel-2 data. Satellite images of a WWT plant in Calgary, Canada, taken between 2019 and 2023, were processed to retrieve CH<sub>4</sub> column concentration distributions. Digital image processing techniques were developed and used for extracting the time- and space-varying features of CH<sub>4</sub> emissions, which revealed daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual variations. Emission hotspots were also identified and corroborated with ground-based measurements. Despite limitations due to atmospheric scattering, cloud cover, and sensor resolution, which affect precise ground-level concentration assessments, the findings reveal the dynamic nature of fugitive GHG emissions from WWT, indicating the need for continuous monitoring. The results also show the potential of utilizing satellite images for cost-effectively evaluating fugitive CH4 emissions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-51ea46d5b5a74a76b7750b5661bb90e6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-51ea46d5b5a74a76b7750b5661bb90e62024-12-13T16:30:47ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922024-11-011623442210.3390/rs16234422First Investigation of Long-Term Methane Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Using Satellite Remote SensingSeyed Mostafa Mehrdad0Bo Zhang1Wenqi Guo2Shan Du3Ke Du4Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaStantec, Atlanta, GA 30303, USADepartment of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, CanadaDepartment of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, CanadaDepartment of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaWastewater treatment (WWT) contributes 2–9% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The noticeable uncertainty in emissions estimation is due in large part to the lack of measurement data. Several methods have recently been developed for monitoring fugitive GHG emissions from WWT. However, limited by the short duration of the monitoring, only “snapshot” data can be obtained, necessitating extrapolation of the limited data for estimating annual emissions. Extrapolation introduces substantial errors, as it fails to account for the spatial and temporal variations of fugitive emissions. This research evaluated the feasibility of studying the long-term CH<sub>4</sub> emissions from WWT by analyzing high spatial resolution Sentinel-2 data. Satellite images of a WWT plant in Calgary, Canada, taken between 2019 and 2023, were processed to retrieve CH<sub>4</sub> column concentration distributions. Digital image processing techniques were developed and used for extracting the time- and space-varying features of CH<sub>4</sub> emissions, which revealed daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual variations. Emission hotspots were also identified and corroborated with ground-based measurements. Despite limitations due to atmospheric scattering, cloud cover, and sensor resolution, which affect precise ground-level concentration assessments, the findings reveal the dynamic nature of fugitive GHG emissions from WWT, indicating the need for continuous monitoring. The results also show the potential of utilizing satellite images for cost-effectively evaluating fugitive CH4 emissions.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/23/4422satellite imagerymethane emissionwastewater treatment plantSentinel-2remote sensing |
| spellingShingle | Seyed Mostafa Mehrdad Bo Zhang Wenqi Guo Shan Du Ke Du First Investigation of Long-Term Methane Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Using Satellite Remote Sensing Remote Sensing satellite imagery methane emission wastewater treatment plant Sentinel-2 remote sensing |
| title | First Investigation of Long-Term Methane Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Using Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_full | First Investigation of Long-Term Methane Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Using Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_fullStr | First Investigation of Long-Term Methane Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Using Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Investigation of Long-Term Methane Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Using Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_short | First Investigation of Long-Term Methane Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Using Satellite Remote Sensing |
| title_sort | first investigation of long term methane emissions from wastewater treatment using satellite remote sensing |
| topic | satellite imagery methane emission wastewater treatment plant Sentinel-2 remote sensing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/23/4422 |
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