Advances in accounting methodology of nitrous oxide emissions from the adipic acid industry

Nitrous oxide (N₂O), as an important gas affecting climate warming, is attracting attention from all walks of life. This review addresses N₂O emissions status in the adipic acid industry, a significant industrial greenhouse gas source. It elucidates the N₂O emission mechanism and influencing factors in adipic acid production. It extensively evaluates N₂O emission accounting methods, including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines, World Resources Institute (WRI) Protocol, and others. While the IPCC emission factor method offers simplicity and comparability, it may lack precision for facilities with advanced emission reduction measures. To address this, a combined modeling and monitoring approach is advocated. It scrutinizes modeling methods (statistical techniques, Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies, and Life-cycle Assessment) and highlights their reliance on specific data and perspectives. It emphasizes the growing importance of on-site monitoring with mid-IR technology. Additionally, it underscores the potential of aircraft-based and satellite remote sensing for comprehensive N₂O emissions data. The review also highlights recent advancements in emission mitigation, particularly in adipic acid synthesis techniques, showing substantial potential for N₂O reduction. Innovative paradigms and strategies for N₂O mitigation in the adipic acid industry are presented, with a focus on achieving nitrogen oxides (NO_x) -free production. These approaches hold promise for emission reduction, given the high removal efficiency in plant end-of-treatment processes. Various accounting methods, monitoring techniques, and mitigation strategies were integrated and analyzed to provides a comprehensive overview of N₂O emissions in the adipic acid industry, with the aim of guiding future research and policy initiatives.