London, August 1 (ANI): Hydroelectric power could be doing more harm than good to the climate, a new study has revealed.
A study analysed the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from 85 hydroelectric reservoirs around the world and found the carbon output was highest in young reservoirs in the lower latitudes, reports ABC Science.
The study, led by Nathan Barros from the Federal University of Juiz de Fora in Brazil found that all reservoirs from boreal latitudes to the tropics were a source of methane, with 88 per cent also emitting CO2.
They calculated around 48 megatons of carbon per year are emitted as CO2 and a further 3 megatons of carbon are emitted as methane from the reservoir surface.
The highest emissions came from the tropics, especially the Amazon region, where the bottom waters and sediments tend to be oxygen-free, leading to anaerobic decomposition that contributes significantly to methane production.
The study has been published in Nature Geoscience. (ANI)
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