Nitrous oxide emissions in wastewater treatment plants
Keywords:
Wastewater treatment, emissions, nitrous oxide.Abstract
Although wastewater treatment plants aim to protect the environment, their performance varies widely. Some of them are responsible for releasing pollutants such as nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to ozone depletion. These emissions are produced by incomplete biological processes carried out by microorganisms that degrade the organic matter found in wastewater. To enhance complete biological processes, different strategies of operational design and technology implementation have been developed, including the retrofitting of bioreactors, which promotes a more stable operation and reduces nitrous oxide emissions.
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