Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Onsite Sanitation Systems: Flux Chamber Design and Field Methodology

Abstract

Projected quantities of greenhouse gas emissions from onsite sanitation systems vary considerably depending on the methods used. There is a need to use empirical field data to form the base of more robust, global estimates. Current methods are laboratory heavy and require expensive equipment, thus limiting the amount of data that can be collected in rural areas, and by those in low- and middle-income countries. These methods were evaluated, and a key piece of equipment, the flux chamber, was redesigned. Through both laboratory work and field trials, the new flux chamber, which repurposes landfill and contaminated land portable gas analysers, was able to deliver real-time results for carbon dioxide and methane from onsite sanitation systems. This paper successfully demonstrates these new field methods for evaluating GHG emissions from onsite sanitation systems, including tanks and pit latrines.