Sewage systems secretly waft pollution into the air

• RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

• 24 February 2026

Sewage systems secretly waft pollution into the air

Wastewater treatment tanks and other infrastructure emit larger amounts of greenhouse gases than reported.

[An aerial view of circular pools of water at the East Bay Municipal Utility District Wastewater Treatment Plant]

Wastewater treatment plants, such as this one, emit nitrous oxides and methane, both potent greenhouse gases. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty

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Wastewater systems are emitting more greenhouse gases than nations are reporting. As much as 150 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent could be sneaking into the atmosphere from these sources per year1.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00514-y

References

Song, C., Ponder, D., Peng, W. & Ren, Z. J. Nature Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02540-6 (2026).

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