Identification of Sources of Methane in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

Stationary, mobile, and satellite measurements of methane are evaluated to characterize and distinguish the major sources of methane emissions in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The isotopic composition of the methane and ethane:methane ratios resulted in the successful differentiation between source categories, and the results indicate that the main emission sources in the city are from waste and traffic. The most significant source of CH4 was the Da Phuoc landfill site to the south of the city, which was responsible for elevated CH4 mole fractions over large parts of the city; more than 1 ppm above background up to 15 km away. With this large extent and elevation, we show that during the study period, the landfill emissions are detectable from space using the PRISMA satellite. Our measurements in an understudied region offer an empirical basis to guide methane management and mitigation strategies implemented by governments to achieve the goals of the Global Methane Pledge.