Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

Design and Use of a Full Flow Sampling System (FFS) for the Quantification of Methane Emissions
Published on: June 12, 2016
Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from municipal wastewater treatment - results from a long-term study
M R J Daelman1, E M van Voorthuizen, L G J M van Dongen
1Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands. m.r.j.daelman@tudelft.nl
Abstract:
Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from a fully covered municipal wastewater treatment plant were measured on-line during 16 months. At the plant under study, nitrous oxide contributed three-quarters to the plant's carbon footprint, while the methane emission was slightly larger than the indirect carbon dioxide emission related to the plant's electricity and natural gas consumption. This contrasted with two other wastewater treatment plants, where more than 80% of the carbon footprint came from the indirect carbon dioxide emission. The nitrous oxide emission exhibited a seasonal dynamic, of which the cause remains unclear. Three types of air filter were investigated with regard to their effectiveness to remove methane from the off-gas.
Related Concept Videos
Microbes and Climate Change
Microbes and Methanogenesis
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this nitrogen...

