@article{Yang2026, 
author = {Huiwen Yang and Yue Zhu and Xu Zhao},
title = {High-spatiotemporal-resolution mapping of non-carbon dioxide emission hotspots from China’s wastewater treatment plants},
year = {2026},
journal = {Carbonsphere},
volume = {2},
pages = {9510009},
keywords = {CH4, N2O, emission inventory, wastewater treatment plant},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/CS.2026.9510009},
doi = {10.26599/CS.2026.9510009},
abstract = {Emissions of non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases (non-CO2 GHGs), primarily methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), are critical drivers of climate change, with China’s wastewater treatment sector ranking as the fourth-largest source of both gases. Consequently, establishing high–spatiotemporal-resolution inventories for CH4 and N2O emissions from this sector is a prerequisite for China to achieve its non-CO2 GHG mitigation targets. This study develops a 0.1° × 0.1° spatial-resolution inventory for CH4 and N2O emissions from Chinese wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) spanning 2000–2024. By integrating top-down and bottom-up methodologies, the inventory is used to establish a refined emission-factor database that distinguishes between technical processes and wastewater types. The results indicate that non-CO2 GHG emissions of China’s WWTPs generally increased until 2015, followed by a steady decline through 2024. Emission hotspots have expanded from eastern to central China, with the top 10% of WWTPs accounting for around 60% of total emissions. These datasets provide a scientific basis for designing region-specific emission-mitigation policies.}
}