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arXiv · 2610.07542

Satellite observations of nitrous oxide emissions from adipic acid production

Nicholas Balasus·Daniel H. Cusworth
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Abstract

The production of adipic acid generates nitrous oxide as a by-product, which, if emitted, very effectively warms the climate and depletes the stratospheric ozone layer. There exists cost-effective technology to mitigate these nitrous oxide emissions from adipic acid production, but the degree of implementation of this technology, most notably at sites in China, is uncertain. Using satellite observations from summer 2026, we quantify nitrous oxide emissions from three adipic acid production sites in China, finding emissions that total over half a million tonnes per year, a rate that implies limited emissions abatement. With respect to climate change, eliminating the annual emissions from just these three sites would be equivalent to eliminating the annual emissions from 49 coal-fired power plants or 43 million gas-powered vehicles in the United States.

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Nicholas Balasus, Daniel H. Cusworth. 2026-10-06. Satellite observations of nitrous oxide emissions from adipic acid production. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.07542

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