- 1Kathmandu University, Department of Environment science and engineering, Dhulikhel, Nepal (prativapoudel1@gmail.com)
- 2Aquatic Ecology Centre, School of Science, Kathmandu University, Nepal
- 3Environmental Engineering and Management, Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
- 4Department of Civil Engineering and Cabot Institute for the Environment, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR, UK
- 5BioResource Systems Research Group, School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
- 6Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Campus La Nubia, Manizales, Colombia
- 7WASH Research Group, School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
On-site sanitation systems (OSS) generate greenhouse gases (GHGs) during the decomposition of fecal matter. The reported measurements of these emissions are confined to a restricted number of research examining septic tanks in high-income nations. We conducted field measurements of onsite containments to generate emissions data for Nepal. This represents the first empirical investigation of greenhouse gas emissions from onsite containments in low- and middle-income countries. Emissions were recorded from a panel of pit latrines (n=18), holding tanks (n=6), septic tanks (n=3), between December 2021 and December 2022. A calibrated static flux chamber was designed was and deployed to collect gases samples at each containment site. Portable gas analyzers were employed to quantify methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Results will be provided in detail. Preliminary investigation showed a substantial range in emissions rates notably CH4 across different types of onsite sanitation containments. Statistical test indicated methane emission rates varied considerably within containment types (P value<0.05). N2O was not discovered in any of the sample containments. Our preliminary findings indicate that onsite containment emissions are greater than anticipated and may be a key area for improvement in order to get net zero emissions.
How to cite: Poudel, P., Tuladhar, S., Ghimire, A., Howard, G., Camargo-Valero, M. A. C.-V., Evans, B., Reddy, O., and Sharma, S.: Field based greenhouse gas emission measurement from onsite containments in Nepal., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1108, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1108, 2025.
