Quantifying Air Pollutant Emissions and Health Impacts in the Solid Waste Sector: Introduction to the Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET)

摘要

The municipal solid waste sector in developing countries is a significant source of air pollutants that contribute to human health impacts and climate change. Landfills are the third-largest anthropogenic source of methane emissions, a pollutant that has a significant impact on climate change and contributes to tropospheric ozone formation. Diesel waste collection vehicles and waste handling equipment (e.g., bulldozers) generate considerable amounts of black carbon, a component of particulate matter that has a very high global warming potential. In addition to methane and black carbon, the sector generates considerable emissions of NOx, SOx, and CO2. Understanding the magnitude of these emissions, and potential opportunities to mitigate them, is critical for making informed decisions about waste management system investments in developing countries. The Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET) is an Excel-based tool that quantifies emissions of methane, black carbon, and other pollutants from sources in the municipal solid waste sector. The tool provides emissions and emissions reduction estimates at the project-, source-, and municipality-level. Cities can use this information for multiple purposes, including establishing a baseline scenario, comparing a baseline scenario to as many as four alternative scenarios, analyzing specific projects for potential emissions reductions, estimating the contribution of activities in the waste sector to overall city emissions reduction goals, and tracking progress over time, among other things. SWEET can be used to generate inputs for other tools and models that are designed to quantify air quality and human health impacts associated with air pollution (e.g., the World Health Organization s AirQ+ tool), SWEET was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (with assistance from Abt Associates and SCS Engineers) on behalf of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Municipal Solid Waste Initiative. This presentation will introduce the audience to the tool, including its purpose and function. It will also include case studies to illustrate the tool's use and functionality.