Methane Measurements Using Portable Fourier Transform Spectrometers in
the Greater Toronto Area
Abstract
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA, pop. 6.4 million) is the populous city in
Canada, thus accurately quantifying GHG emissions from the GTA is an
important step towards meeting Canada’s commitments to reduce its
Greenhouse gas emissions. Mitigation of methane (CH4) emissions is of
particular importance when setting the country’s policy measures to meet
the GHG reduction goal since it can be economically advantageous. In
this study, a methane emission inventory with a high spatial resolution
was prepared using individual facility reports gathered for each
municipality in the GTA. Measurements using portable Fourier Transform
Spectrometers (FTS), are then used to monitor CH4 levels in the GTA
continuously. Four FTS instruments were installed in different locations
in the city in line with the most frequent wind directions based on
historical observations. High peak events were investigated and with
measurements of tracer concentrations and wind data, the emissions from
the city were estimated. At the end, we investigated how the results
could be used to improve the existing emission inventory.