The 12th International Conference on Water Resource and Environment (WRE 2026)

Abstract: Pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments pose increasing risks to ecosystems, water quality, and human health, requiring sustainable and efficient remediation technologies. This study focuses on the development of peracetic acid-based advanced oxidation processes (PAA-AOPs) using novel catalysts derived from waste biomass and transition-metal materials. Biochar prepared from chestnut shell and kumquat peel was investigated for acetaminophen degradation, with pyrolysis temperature and surface modification shown to strongly influence adsorption, electron transfer, and PAA activation. ZIF-67 supported on kumquat peel-derived biochar enhanced reactive oxygen species generation and achieved high acetaminophen removal across a wide pH range with good reusability. Additionally, NiCo2O4 catalysts with different morphologies were developed for cephalexin degradation, where 3D NiCo2O4 exhibited superior crystallinity, oxygen vacancies, electron transfer ability, and catalytic performance. Overall, these PAA-based systems demonstrate strong potential for sustainable wastewater treatment and pharmaceutical pollutant removal.

Biography: Prof. Cheng-Di Dong is a Chair Professor in the Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST), Taiwan. Dr. Dong obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Delaware, USA in 1993 and M.S. in Environmental Science from New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA in 1990. Dr. Dong is Dean of the College of Hydrosphere of NKUST. Dr. Dong’s research focuses on waste-to-resources, biotechnology, nanotechnology, novel catalytic materials and biochar for environmental applications. Dr. Dong has published more than 500 research and review articles in leading international journals, 7 book chapters, and edited 6 special issues of scientific journals. His h-index is approximately 66, with more than 17,000 citations according to Google Scholar. He has won several scientific awards and grants from renowned academic bodies. Dr. Dong was in the “World’s Top 2% Scientist-Stanford University Releases List (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)” for Environmental Sciences. He is a Fellow of International Bioprocessing Association. Dr. Dong currently serves as Editor of Sustainable Environment Research, and he is Editorial Board Member of Bioresource Technology. He has also served as Guest Editor of Special Issues in Bioresource Technology, Environmental Pollution, Bioresource Technology Report, Catalysts, and Applied Sciences.

Abstract: This presentation introduces fluidized-bed homogeneous crystallization (FBHC), a groundbreaking technology for recovering both metallic and non-metallic ions from water without the need for heterogeneous seeding. By integrating multiple treatment functions into a single reactor, FBHC requires only one-third of the land area compared to conventional precipitation systems. The process yields granular crystals with exceptionally low moisture content (≈5%), enabling up to 60% savings in sludge treatment costs—even when the product is treated as waste. Moreover, the absence of foreign seed materials ensures the production of high-purity crystals suitable for reuse. From a sustainability perspective, FBHC achieves superior dehydration efficiency, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 300 kg per ton relative to sludge generated by traditional chemical precipitation. The presentation will highlight reactor design and operating parameters, while also examining the granulation mechanism that underpins the formation of high-quality calcium carbonate crystals. Together, these advances demonstrate FBHC’s potential as a world-leading solution for resource recovery, cost reduction, and carbon mitigation.

Biography: Prof. Ming-Chun Lu is a Chair Professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering at National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan. He has served as an editor for Desalination since 2024 and has been an associate editor for Sustainable Environment Research since 2015. His outstanding achievements have been widely recognized with numerous honors. These include the Platinum Award at the Taiwan Innotech Expo Invention Competition in 2023 and 2024, the prestigious Future Technology Award from the National Science and Technology Council in both years, and the Outstanding Advisor Award for College Student Research and Creativity in 2023. He also led his team to win the championship in the Net-Zero Carbon Technology International Competition hosted by the TECO Technology Foundation in 2023 and was honored with the Outstanding Engineering Professor Award by the Chinese Institute of Engineers the same year. Professor Lu's research interests encompass advanced oxidation processes for water and wastewater treatment, fluidized-bed crystallization technology for treating wastewater containing metallic and non-metallic salts, and carbon dioxide capture from flue gas. He is also an innovator in developing disinfection, deodorization, antimicrobial, and antifungal technologies, as well as oil emulsification and desulfurization techniques. His work not only addresses pressing environmental challenges but also provides sustainable solutions that drive technological advancements.

Abstract: It has been demonstrated that the abatement of dissolved organic matter and micropollutants in drinking water by biological activated carbon (BAC) filters with aged media deteriorates due to the decreased porosity and aerobic metabolism in dense biofilm. In this study, micro-nano bubbles (MNBs) were introduced to the influent of young and aged BAC filters to potentially enhance performance. Results showed that intermittent MNB introduction could enhance biodegradable micropollutant abatement in aged BAC filters. MNB introduction could yield a ~10%–70% relative increase in removal efficiencies of biodegradable micropollutants in 15-year BAC filters. Intermittent MNB introduction could induce localized reshaping of dense biofilm architecture, resulting in recovered pore structures in biofilm, which were pivotal for convective mass transfer. Correspondingly, abundances of Bacteroidota, Chloroflexota, Acidobacteriota, and Patescibacteria associated with aerobic metabolism of organic substances could be elevated in aged biofilm. The findings of this study support intermittent MNB introduction as a new approach to restore dense biofilm in aged BAC filters, resulting in enhanced biodegradation of micropollutants.

Biography: Dr. Chao Liu is a full Professor of Environmental Engineering and group leader at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), Chinese Academy of Sciences. He also holds adjunct appointments with University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). Prof. Liu received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from UCAS in 2009. After his Ph.D, he had worked at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). Before joining RCEES in 2020, he was a faculty at Clemson University. Dr. Liu’s research focuses on the development of innovative hybrid water treatment processes for the provision of safe and clean drinking water from non-conventional source waters. His primary research is on the removal of undesired constituents and mitigating the formation of toxic by-products in water treatment. His research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Water Research Foundation, and industry. His findings have been published in the premier journals of his field – Nature Water, Environmental Science and Technology, and Water Research. Professor Liu is a recipient of the National Overseas High-level Talent Program. He is an Associate Editor of the journal of Water Research. He also serves various Advisory Committees both nationally and internationally.

Abstract: Korean cities must now manage flooding, drought, pollution and urban heat at once, yet conventional grey drainage addresses only one of these. Non-point sources contribute 22.4% of the pollutant load entering the four major rivers, and impervious surfaces cover more than half of non-forested land, reaching 54.4% in Seoul. This keynote reviews twenty years of Korean experience with Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Low Impact Development (LID), organised around three questions.
First, how did Korea scale NbS from a single facility to national law? The talk traces a stepwise pathway from university test beds and national non-point source pilots, through green infrastructure at public offices and the Zero-Runoff Demonstration Projects in Cheongju Ochang and Jeonju Seogok, to five Water Cycle Leading Cities and, finally, the Framework Act on Water Management (2018) and the Water Cycle Promotion and Support Act (2023).
Second, what does the monitoring evidence show? Individual LID facilities typically removed 80–98% of pollutants, while district-scale runoff and pollutant loads fell by about 20% with only 14% of the area treated. Co-benefits included air-temperature reductions of 1.3–1.5 °C, 890–1,254 tCO₂-eq of annual greenhouse gas reduction and groundwater recharge, yielding benefit–cost ratios of up to 2.5.
Third, do NbS hold up under a changing climate? The pilots were designed for a stationary climate, but five years of IoT monitoring (2021–2025) captured 32 extreme rainfall events and 20 heatwaves. A new hydro-thermal resilience index shows that storage capacity and media pore structure govern how facilities resist and recover from compound extremes.
The talk closes with policy pathways linking this evidence to design standards, facility certification, climate adaptation planning and carbon-sink accounting, and with three lessons: scale in steps and monitor every step, count more than water quality, and write resilience into the next design standard.

Biography: Prof. Leehyung Kim received his Bachelor's degree (1994) and Master's degree (1996) from Korea University, and was received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from UCLA, USA (2002). He has been a professor at Kongju National University in Korea since 2003, and currently serves as President of the Korean Wetlands Society, a member of the IWA DPSG Committee, and Chair of the Executive Committee for UNESCO-iWSSM. His research laboratory focuses on water environment and environmental ecological engineering within the broader field of environmental engineering. The primary research areas include improving water quality through nonpoint source pollution management and developing technologies based on Nature-based Solutions (NbS), such as Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure. His lab is conducting research to address various environmental issues—such as algal blooms, soil erosion, nonpoint source pollution, urban heat island effects, and urban flooding—caused by land use changes and climate change in watersheds, by establishing sustainable water circulation systems. In addition, the lab is actively developing carbon absorption and storage technologies using nature-based solutions such as constructed wetlands, ecological detention basins, and rain gardens. He has published approximately 250 academic papers in journals and holds 31 patents.