U.S. N₂O emissions from wastewater treatment

Nitrous oxides (N₂O) emissions from wastewater treatment in the United States totaled nearly 21 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e) in 2021. Of this total, domestic treatment accounted for the largest share, at 16.2 MtCO₂e, while domestic discharge released 4.2 MtCO₂e. Since 1990, N₂O emissions from wastewater treatment in the U.S. have increased.

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from domestic and industrial wastewater treatment in the United States from 1990 to 2021 (in million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent)

Characteristic	Domestic treatment	Domestic effluent	Industrial treatment*	Industrial effluent*
2021	16.2	4.2	0.4	0.1
2020	16.1	4.3	0.4	0.1
2019	16.4	4.5	0.5	0.1
2018	16.2	4.5	0.4	0.1
2017	15.7	4.4	0.4	0.1
2005	13.7	3.9	0.4	0.1
1990	10.5	3.9	0.3	0.1

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Release date

April 2023

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

1990 to 2021

Supplementary notes

* Industrial activity for N₂O includes the pulp and paper manufacturing, meat and poultry processing, starch-based ethanol production, and petroleum refining.

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