• Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X Wastewater treatment plants, such as this one, emit nitrous oxides and methane, both potent greenhouse gases. • Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty 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. • Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription 27,99 €/ 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access 185,98 € per year only 3,65 € per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00514-y References Song, C., Ponder, D., Peng, W. • Changehttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02540-6 (2026).ArticleGoogle Scholar Song, C., Ponder, D., Peng, W. • Changehttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02540-6 (2026).

Article Summaries:

    • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT Sewage systems secretly waft pollution into the air Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription 27,99 € / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access 185,98 € per year only 3,65 € per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00514-y References Song, C., Ponder, D., Peng, W. & Ren, Z. J. Nature Clim.

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