Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) is a promising approach for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal. This study investigates wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as effective sites for OAE by adding olivine-rich minerals during the aerobic treatment process. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that olivine dissolution in aerobically treated wastewater occurred approximately 20 times faster than in seawater, elevating total alkalinity to over 10 mmol kg⁻¹. This alkalinity enhancement concurrently improved phosphate removal from the wastewater. The resulting alkaline effluent, rich in dissolved inorganic carbon, can promote oceanic CO₂ uptake upon discharge. However, the stability of this carbon storage is contingent on avoiding calcium carbonate precipitation, which is triggered in dilution plumes when the aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) exceeds a threshold. Global potential for carbon sequestration via this wastewater-based OAE is estimated at 18.8 ± 6.0 Tg of CO₂ per year, with significant capacity located between 20°N and 60°N. This approach integrates carbon sequestration with wastewater management but requires careful customization at discharge sites to mitigate unintended environmental impacts such as carbonate precipitation.
Time: 16:00 – 17:00 Beijing Time (UTC+8), November 6, 2025
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89699756666
Zoom Code: 202511
KouShare Link: https://www.koushare.com/live/details/46357
Keynote Speaker: Jihua Liu
Professor Jihua Liu is Deputy Director of the Institute of Marine Science and Technology at Shandong University. His research specializes in the mechanisms of marine carbon sequestration and negative emission technologies, with a particular focus on microbial processes that drive organic carbon transformation and environmental impact assessment of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). His work has significantly advanced the evaluation of wastewater alkalinization's efficiency and carbon sink potential within the OAE framework, which incorporates critical stability constraints, such as aragonite saturation, at a global scale. This approach could enhance OAE efficacy while mitigating challenges like nearshore acidification. Professor Liu earned his PhD in 2015 from Xiamen University and held positions at Shandong University. He has authored over 50 SCI-indexed publications in prestigious journals including Science Advances，Water Research，ES&T and JGR-Oceans. An active leader in his field, he has served as Chair of the Gordon Research Seminar (2016-2018) and Secretary for the PICES-ICES "Ocean Negative Carbon Emission" (ONCE) working group.
Discussion Panel: Yabing Meng, Zongqing Lv
Yabing Meng
Dr. Yabing Meng, an Associate Professor at Xiamen University, focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of microbial ecology and ocean science. Her work centers on microbial responses to environmental change and their role in carbon sequestration, with a special emphasis on enhancing carbon sinks via wastewater alkalinization pathways. She has led multiple national and provincial-level projects, published over 20 papers in authoritative journals such as The Innovation and Engineering, systematically developed an intellectual property portfolio in alkalinity regulation technology, and authored several textbooks, including Wastewater Alkalinization: A New Pathway for Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal.
Her primary academic contributions include: (1) Elucidating the "low-promotion, high-inhibition" succession pattern of functional microbial communities under stress; (2) Analyzing the competitive advantages and regulatory mechanisms of key microbial populations in wastewater treatment systems; and (3) Proposing the "Gray Carbon" concept based on wastewater systems, thereby clarifying a new mechanism for synergistic land-ocean carbon sink enhancement. Dr. Meng currently serves on the editorial boards for Science China Earth Sciences and Ocean Development and Management, and serves as a Program Co-Chair for the WREM (Water, Renewable Energy and Management) conference.
Zongqing Lv
Dr. Zongqing Lv is Assistant Researcher at the First Institute of Oceanography (FIO), Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Her research focuses on microbial ecology and organic carbon biogeochemical cycling in the land-ocean continuum, with a particular emphasis on the preservation potential and assessment criteria for recalcitrant organic carbon pools in both natural and anthropogenically impacted waters, including municipal wastewater. Her work evaluates the far-reaching effects of wastewater effluent alkalization on marine carbon sinks and ecosystem health. Her research findings have been published in leading journals, including Science Advances, Science China: Earth Sciences, Quaternary Science Reviews, and Environmental Research. She leads projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) for Young Scholars and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province.
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