New York City area wetlands may be unwitting generator of greenhouse gasses
Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - 14:30
in Earth & Climate
New York City (NYC), located within the Hudson River Estuary, inputs over 100 billion liters of combined sewage overflow (CSO) into surrounding surface waters annually. Little is known, however, about the impact of CSOs on wetlands that act as carbon sinks and provide buffers against climate change. Now a new study in the Soil Science Society of America Journal from researchers at The Graduate Center of The City University of New York (GC/CUNY) and Queens College suggests that local wetlands are capable of using CSO inputs in a manner that actually increases greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane.