title: Greenhouse gas emissions from stabilization ponds in subtropical climate.
abstract: Waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) are a cost-efficient method to treat municipal and non-toxic industrial effluents. Numerous studies have shown that WSPs are a source of greenhouse gas (GHG). However, most reports concerned anaerobic ponds (AP) and few have addressed GHG emissions from facultative (FP) and aerobic/maturation ponds (MPs). In this paper, GHG emissions from three WSP in series are presented. These WSPs were designed as anaerobic, facultative and aerobic/maturation and were treating agricultural wastewater. CH4 fluxes from 0.6 +/- 0.4 g CH4 m(-2) d(-1) in the MP, to 7.0 +/- 1.0 g CH4 m(-2) d(-1) in the (AP), were measured. A linear correlation was found between the loading rates of the ponds and CH4 emissions. Relatively low CO2 fluxes (0.2 +/- 0.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.8 g CO2 m(-2) d(-1)) were found, which suggest that carbonate/bicarbonate formation is caused by alkaline pH. A mass balance performed showed that 30% of the total chemical oxygen demand removed was converted to CH4. It has been concluded that the WSP system studied emits at least three times more GHG than aerobic activated sludge systems and that the surface loading rate is the most important design parameter for CH4 emissions.
authors.forename: I Y
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Paniagua
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramirez-Vargas
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ramos-Gomez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dendooven
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Avelar-Gonzalez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thalasso
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002980:Climate; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005740:Gases; D005843:Geography; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D008697:Methane / Q000737:chemistry; D008800:Mexico; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000737:chemistry; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D012722:Sewage; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005740:Gases; D008697:Methane; D009584:Nitrogen; D010758:Phosphorus; D012722:Sewage; D013455:Sulfur; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical