N2O emission inventory and the abatement technologies in Japan

The present study aimed at the investigation of N2O reduction technologies and of the possibility of carrying out technological development as future project, based on the present emission sources and inventory. The total emission in Japan of N2O was estimated to be 82.5 Gg-N2O/year, which consists of 8.28 from fossil fuel combustion, 6.95 from waste incineration, 22.5 from transportation, 28.3 from the chemical industry, 2.1 from sewage treatment, 6.3 from agriculture, and 7.1 Gg-N2O/year from livestock excrement. If the abatement technologies discussed in this study were developed and applied, 69% reduction of N2O emissions would be expected, which would be equivalent to about 25 Gg-N2O/year. The future reduction including of the reduction in adipic acid production would give 46 GgN(2)O/year, which is 3.88 Tg-CO2/year and about 1.3% of CO2 emission in Japan at 1990. As a common reduction technology to be developed, we recognize that the catalysts in flue gas treatment for combustion and incineration processes and for automobiles should be important.