Abstract
In this study, the fossil carbon contents of the two facilities were analyzed using 10 or more samples for each facility from June 2013 to March 2015. In addition, the optimal measurement period was calculated from the analyzed fossil carbon contents using a statistical method. As a result of the analysis, the fossil carbon contents were found to be less than 35%, indicating that the biomass content of sewage sludge was not 100%. The fossil carbon content could be representative of using yearly period measurements value. When calculating Green house gas (GHG) emissions from waste incineration, South Korea has been calculating only Non-CO2 emissions because it regarded the CO2 emitted in GHGs from sewage sludge (SS) incineration facilities as originating from biomass. However, biomass of the sewage sludge incineration facility is not 100%, so it is necessary to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions considering the fossil carbon content. Therefore, there is a need to increase the reliability of the greenhouse gas inventory by conducting further studies (such as CO2 concentration analysis) related to the calculation of CO2 emissions for the relevant facilities (sewage sludge incinerator).
Highlights
South Korea generated 3,531,250 tons of sewage sludge (SS) in 2014, which is approximately double the amount of 1,902,410 tons generated in 2001, and the number of SS treatment plants increased more than three times between 2000 and 2014 [1]
The optimal measurement period was calculated from the analyzed fossil carbon contents using a statistical method
Two sewage sludge incineration facilities were selected as target facilities
Summary
South Korea generated 3,531,250 tons of sewage sludge (SS) in 2014, which is approximately double the amount of 1,902,410 tons generated in 2001, and the number of SS treatment plants increased more than three times between 2000 and 2014 (from 172 to 597) [1]. South Korea disposed of more than 30% of its SS in the ocean until 2011, but since ocean disposal was prohibited by the “Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by the Disposal of Wastes and Other Substances” in 2012, the country has relied on other methods to treat SS, such as recycling, incineration, landfill, and fuel conversion. Incineration is the second most-commonly used method after recycling, which accounts for 55% of the total amount of SS treated, and as both incineration and landfill produce major green house gas (GHG) emissions from treating waste, they require appropriate management. When calculating GHG emissions from SS incineration facilities, many countries (including South Korea and Japan, German, Austria) have excluded CO2 emissions from their national GHG emissions and reported them separately [7,8,9,10]. Kang et al (2017) declared the need to calculate CO2 emissions from SS incineration facilities because the biomass content of SS measurements was shown to be less than 100% [13]
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