A Differentiation of Estimated Methane Emissions from Domestic Wastewater Handling using Different IPCC Guidelines

Abstract

This study was conducted to estimate methane emissions from domestic wastewater handling in Thailand during 1990-2008
by comparing the revised 1996 IPCC guidelines with the 2006 IPCC guidelines using results from activity data, assumptions and
major parameters. The results using the revised 1996 IPCC guidelines showed that the methane emissions from domestic wastewater
handling were higher than when using 2006 IPCC guidelines by about 1.49-1.64 times. These were due to the different parameters
used and their assumptions including the fraction of population income group and the degree of utilization of treatment or discharge for
each income group used in the 2006 IPCC guidelines. The differences in this study are due to the assumption of data of income fraction
which is based on gross provincial product (GPP). Methane emissions from this study were higher than estimates reported elsewhere.
The results were due to different BOD loads and different assumptions of urban and rural populations.