Prof. Leehyung Kim
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Kongju National UniversitySpeech Title: Impact of Emerging Pollutants on Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Strategies
Abstract: The intensification of land use in watersheds due to industrial development and urbanization has increased the environmental discharge of various emerging pollutants including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and microplastics. These substances are not completely removed by conventional water treatment processes and continuously accumulate in the environment. Temperature rise and increased frequency of extreme rainfall due to climate change are altering the fate and ecotoxicity of these pollutants, threatening aquatic ecosystem health. Microplastics were detected at concentrations of 24 particles/L in stormwater runoff and 3.52 particles/L in wastewater. Korean freshwater fish studies revealed 4-48 particles per fish in intestines and 1-16 particles per fish in gills, indicating severe bioaccumulation levels. Korea's annual mean temperature has risen approximately 1.5°C since 1920, with increasing frequency of heavy rainfall intensifying runoff from non-point sources. Emerging pollutants cause endocrine disruption, immune system suppression, and reproductive impairment in fish. Microplastics induce gill inflammation, gastrointestinal blockage, and liver and kidney dysfunction, while transporting adsorbed toxic substances into organisms, resulting in complex toxicity. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are crucial for addressing these issues. Secondary treatment of wastewater treatment plants through constructed wetlands, urban water circulation through Low Impact Development (LID) techniques, and floodplain restoration are effective approaches. The Taebaek City non-point source pollution reduction facility achieved removal efficiencies of 37.1% for total nitrogen and 62.8% for total phosphorus, while LID facilities demonstrated 93-98% microplastic reduction effectiveness. NbS also provide multiple benefits including carbon sequestration, flood control, and biodiversity enhancement.In conclusion, comprehensive approaches encompassing pollution source management, NbS application, and climate change adaptation from a watershed integrated management perspective can protect aquatic ecosystem health from emerging pollutants and establish sustainable water environments.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This research was conducted as part of KEITI's Wetland Ecosystem Value Enhancement Technology Development Project, for which we express our gratitude.
REFERENCES
Haque, M.T., Geronimo, F.K., Robles, M.E., Vispo, C., and Kim, L.H.(2025). Yourname, A. A., Hisname, B. B., and Theirnames, C. C., (2023). Comparative evaluation of the carbon storage capacities in urban stormwater nature-based technologies, Ecological Engineering, 212, pp. 1-7.
Oh, Y., Robles, M.E., Vispo, C., Jeon, M., and Kim, L.H. (2024). Exploring Research Trends on Antibiotic Pollution Control in Constructed Wetlands through a Bibliometric Analysis and Comprehensive Review, Journal of Wetlands Research, 26(4), pp.511-52.
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.
Prof. Ming-Chun Lu
Chair Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering, National Chung Hsing UniversitySpeech Title: Fluidized-Bed Homogeneous Crystallization and Related Approaches for Nutrient Recovery from Livestock Wastes
Abstract: Phosphorus (P) is a finite, non-renewable resource, and excessive nitrogen (N) and P discharges from livestock wastewater contribute to eutrophication. This talk reviews emerging technologies for recovering N and P from livestock wastes, with a focus on fluidized-bed homogeneous crystallization (FBHC). Various crystallization approaches, including struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) formation for simultaneous N and P recovery, and precipitation of tricalcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2) and ferric phosphate (FePO4) for phosphorus recycling, are discussed. The principles, operational parameters, and performance of these technologies are highlighted, including the use of swine slurry, magnesium sources, and industrial wastewater streams. Advantages of FBHC over conventional methods, such as high removal efficiency, low moisture content, and scalable production of crystalline products, are emphasized. The potential applications of recovered products as fertilizers and raw materials for bioactive materials are also addressed. This review provides insights into sustainable, circular strategies for livestock wastewater management, demonstrating how FBHC and related crystallization techniques can support nutrient recovery, environmental protection, and resource reuse.
Keywords: Swine slurry; Nitrogen recovery; Phosphorus recovery; fluidized-bed reactor
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.
Prof. Yao-Tung Lin
Lifetime Distinguished Professor, National Chung Hsing UniversityDirector, Taiwan National Science and Technology Office for Net-Zero Emission
Speech Title:
Biography: Professor Yao-Tung Lin is a globally recognized expert in environmental engineering, with over three decades of academic and professional experience spanning carbon sequestration, high-value material innovation from agricultural and fishery waste, and advanced synchrotron-based characterization. As a principal investigator and lead scientist, Professor Lin has pioneered novel methods to transform waste into multifunctional materials with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and environmental applications. His research integrates nanotechnology, photocatalysis, and AI-driven material sensing, with special emphasis on chromatic pH-responsive indicators for wound diagnostics and food freshness.
In his national leadership role, Professor Lin serves as Director of the Taiwan National Science and Technology Office for Net-Zero Emission under the Executive Yuan (Taiwan’s Cabinet). He is responsible for developing national strategies, formulating R&D budgets, and steering technological innovation to meet Taiwan’s 2050 Net-Zero goals. He is also renowned for pioneering work using synchrotron X-ray imaging to visualize the 3D inactivation process of bacteria and intracellular stress responses under environmental stimuli. Professor Lin’s integrative leadership connects science, policy, and sustainability toward a circular, carbon-neutral future.
Prof. Qiuwen Chen
Department of Eco-environmental Research, Nanjing Hydraulic Research InstituteSpeech Title:
Biography: Prof. Qiuwen Chen received PhD from Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands in 2004. He was awarded the “100 Talents Program” of Chinese Academy of Sciences in the same year and worked in Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences till 2013. Since then, he worked in Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute and established the Department of Eco-environmental Research from scratch. He has been long engaged in Eco-environmental conservation for hydraulic engineering and water resources development. He has published more than 400 international peer-reviewed papers, and was awarded the 20th Arthur Thomas Ippen Award from the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering (IAHR) and the Xplore Prize. He is now the chairman of Global Water Security of IHAR, and associate editor of 2 international journals.
Prof. Xiaohong Guan
School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal UniversitySpeech Title:
Biography: Xiaohong Guan, Distinguished Professor at East China Normal University (ECNU), serves as the Vice Dean of the School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences at ECNU. She is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). Her research focuses on the chemistry of water pollution control. As the first or corresponding author, she has published over 150 SCI-indexed papers in prestigious journals such as Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Environmental Science & Technology, and Water Research. She has been consecutively listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Elsevier for five years. Her scientific achievements have earned her numerous awards, including the First Prize of the Invention and Entrepreneurship Award from the China Invention Association (ranked 1st), and the Second Prize of the Shanghai Natural Science Award (ranked 1st). As an editor, she has published several influential books, including Essentials for Writing High-Quality SCI Papers: From Topic Selection to Publication (which won the Second Prize of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Excellent Publications Award - Textbook Award), Advanced Oxidation Technologies for Water Pollution Control, and Water Chemistry. She has led over 30 research projects, including nine funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and key research and development programs. Currently, She is an Editor for Water Research.
Prof. Zhongping Lai
Head of Luminescence Dating Laboratory & Quaternary Geology Group, Institute of Marine Sciences, Shantou UniversitySpeech Title:
Biography: Prof. Zhongping Lai is currently a professor in Shantou University, and the head of luminescence dating laboratory and Quaternary geology & marine geology group. He obtained his PhD in 2005 from Oxford University as a Clarendon Scholar. He was then awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and spent nearly two years in Marburg and Bayreuth Universities in Germany. He came back to China in late 2007 in Chinese Academy of Sciences (2007-2014), in China University of Geosciences (2014-2018), and in Shantou University since 2018. He has published more than 170 papers in international SCI journals, such as Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Geophysical Research Letters, Catena, Quaternary Science Reviews, Geomorphology, Quaternary Geochronology, Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Pollution, Frontiers in Marine Science. In ResearchGate, he has an h-index of 46 and a citation of >6200.
He is currently the Editor of “Catena” and and a member of editorial boards of “Geochronometria”. He has also served as associate editors for both "Quaternary Research (2010-2017)" and "Aeolian Research (2010-2017)", and as reviewers for British NERC, Switzerland NSF, and Norway NSF. He was selected in both lists, established by Stanford University, of the “World's Top 2% Scientists 2021: Career-long impact”, and of the “World's Top 2% Scientists: Single year impact” for both 2020 and 2021.
His main research interests include: (1) Quaternary geology, marine geology and geochronology; (2) Coupling of Sea level, delta, fluvial system and land surface processes; (3) Mechanism of arsenic pollution in underground water associated with global climate change and sedimentology; (4) Luminescence dating in both application and technique development.
Prof. Hua Zhong
Associate Professor (tenured), Senior Researcher Scientist, Eastern Institute of TechnologySpeech Title:
Biography: Dr. Hua Zhong is currently a senior researcher in the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, China. His research is focused on transport and transformation of contaminants in porous media and novel technologies for in situ groundwater remediation and rainwater treatment. He was selected for the national high-level talent support program of China and had secured 20+ research projects from multiple sources including National Natural Science Foundation and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. He also participated as a key member in 3 projects funded by the SUPERFUND program, Department of Defense, and Department of Energy of US. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and authorized 20+ patents. He had a Web-of-Science core citation number over 6000 and H-index of 40, and was listed as Elsevier BV-Stanford University global 2% top scientist several times. He is the editorial member of several SCI journals such as International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and has been the program chair, session chair and technical committee members of 20+ international conferences. He supervised 4 research associates, 6 postdocs and 50+ phD and MS students. The specific research interests include (1) coupled processes of contaminant mass transfer, transport and transformation in porous media; (2) interfacial behaviors of surfactants and removal of nonaqueous phase liquid; (3) in situ chemical oxidation of recalcitrant organic compounds based on advanced oxidation processes; (4) colloid and nanoparticles transport for remediation; (5) processes of contaminant removal in low-impact development facilities.
Prof. Chao Liu
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), Chinese Academy of SciencesSpeech Title:
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.
Prof. Yaohui Bai
Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Sustainability, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesSpeech Title:
Biography: Prof. Yaohui Bai obtained his B.Sc. degree from the Department of Biology, Sichuan University in 1998. He then completed his Master's degree at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University in 2005, and obtained his Ph.D. degree at the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University in 2009. Between 2008 and 2009, he was an exchange Ph.D. student at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, USA. In 2011, he joined RCEES as an Assistant Professor (Associate Professor from 2013 to 2020). At RCEES, he continued his research into controlling water pollution with an emphasis on microbiological techniques. From 2013 to 2014, he worked at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) as a research scientist. Currently, he is a professor (since 2020) at RCEES and his research mainly focuses on (i) new biological water treatment techniques, and (ii) microecology process & manipulation. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers.
Prof. Mengkai Li
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesSpeech Title:
Biography: Dr. Mengkai Li is a Full Professor at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from CAS, completed postdoctoral research at the School of Chemistry, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), and later served as the Edwards M. Curtis Visiting Professor at the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University. Dr. Li’s research focuses on: (1) advanced optical devices and experimental apparatus; (2) efficient removal mechanisms and technologies for emerging contaminants and pathogenic microorganisms; and (3) the development of efficient, reliable UV water-treatment systems. He developed the micro-fluorescent silica detector (MFSD) and the mini-fluidic photoreaction system (MFPS), which have been widely adopted in water-treatment research and practice. He has published 70+ peer-reviewed papers in leading journals, including Environmental Science & Technology and Water Research.
Prof. Chuanyu Qin
College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin UniversitySpeech Title:
Biography: Prof. Chuanyu Qin serves as Associate Dean of the College of New Energy and Environment of Jilin University (JLU) and Deputy Director of the Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment of Ministry of Education. Dr. Qin obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from JLU in 2010 and pursued advanced research as a visiting scholar at Oregon Health & Science University in 2017. Dr. Qin’s research focuses on advancing theoretical frameworks, innovative materials, cutting-edge technologies, and specialized equipment for contaminated site remediation, with successful applications in multiple demonstration remediation projects. He has led or participated in more than 20 research projects. Notably, he has served as the Principal Investigator on a National Key Research and Development Program of China, and has undertaken several projects funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China. Dr. Qin has published more than 50 articles in top journals like Environmental Science & Technology, Water Research. He has received the McKee Award from the Water Environment Federation (WEF), as well as the Science and Technology Progress Award from China's Ministry of Education and Jilin Province. Dr. Qin holds the position of Deputy Director of the Jilin Provincial Designated Committee for Solid Waste Treatment and Utilization. He also serves as Editorial Board Member of journals, such as China Environmental Science, Environmental Sanitation Engineering, Environmental Protection Science, and Journal of Jilin University (Earth Science Edition).
Prof. Ran Yin
Institute for the Environment and Health, Nanjing UniversitySpeech Title:
Biography: Prof. Yin Ran is an Associate Professor at the Institute for the Environment and Health at Nanjing University. Prior to this appointment, he served as a Research Assistant Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Dr. Yin earned his B.Eng. in Environmental Engineering from Nanjing University in 2014 and his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from HKUST in 2020. He has also held visiting scholar positions at Purdue University in 2019 and at Stanford University in 2022. Dr. Yin’s research focuses on applying fundamental principles of photochemistry and radical chemistry to advance water treatment and reuse technologies. He also develops novel ultraviolet-based methods for healthcare applications and investigates the connections between water quality and public health. His work has appeared in more than 50 research and review articles in leading international journals such as Nature Water, ES&T and Water Research. He has received several distinguished awards and grants, including inclusion in the “World’s Top 2% Scientists” list by Stanford University for 2024 in Environmental Sciences. Other honors include the NSFC Excellent Young Scientist Award (Overseas), the IUVA Rising Star Award, the RGC Postdoctoral Fellowship, and the SENG PhD Research Excellence Award. Dr. Yin is actively involved in the international scientific community. He serves as a Board Member of the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) and is a member of the Young Leadership Committee of the International Water Association (IWA). He also holds a position as an Early-career Editorial Board Member of Environmental Science & Technology.
Prof. Yiliang He
China-UK International Low Carbon College, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitySchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Speech Title:
Biography: Prof. Yiliang He is the associate dean of China-UK International Low Carbon College and a full Professor of School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He was a visiting scholar at Gifu University in Japan in 2003, a visiting professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States in 2006, and a guest professor at the National University of Singapore from 2013 to 2025. He is a leading talent in Minhang District, Shanghai, and a thematic expert for the National Major Science and Technology Special Project on Water. He has long been engaged in teaching, research, and engineering practice in the field of environmental engineering. He has published over a hundred papers in top academic journals at home and abroad and at important international conferences such as the annual meeting of the International Water Association, and has compiled and published two academic monographs. As the project leader, he has presided over two research projects of the National Major Science and Technology Special Project on "Water Pollution Control and Treatment" during the "11th Five-Year Plan" and "12th Five-Year Plan" periods. As the project principal, he has successively undertaken six projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. As the chief PI, he is responsible for the research of the E2S2 project under the CREATE major international cooperation project of the Singapore government.
Research interests: Water pollution control and water environment restoration, environmental behavior of emerging pollutants, and environmentally friendly purification technologies.
Prof. Xinze Wang
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitySpeech Title: Erhai Lake Overview and Preliminary Analysis of Organic Matter
Abstract: Erhai Lake, the second-largest freshwater lake on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, covers an area of 252 km² with an average depth of 10.5 m, and its watershed is approximately ten times the size of the lake itself. In recent years, comprehensive management efforts have yielded remarkable improvements: the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads from inflowing rivers have decreased by about 35% within six years, leading to a notable enhancement in overall water quality. However, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and permanganate index have remained persistently high, emerging as critical factors preventing the lake from meeting water quality standards. Our study revealed pronounced shifts in the algal community structure of Erhai Lake, with dominant taxa alternating among Cyanophyta, Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, and Pyrrophyta. Cluster analysis indicated a strong correlation between algal dominance, biomass, and COD concentration. Fluorescence spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses further demonstrated that extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced during algal growth and metabolism directly contribute to elevated COD levels. Notably, approximately two-thirds of the EPS produced by pseudoanabaena sp. are resistant to rapid biodegradation. Future research should therefore focus on algal community succession and organic matter transformation processes to support the sustained improvement of Erhai Lake’s water quality and ecosystem stability.
Biography: Prof. Wang Xinze is a Chief Researcher in School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China. Dr Wang obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology, China in 2002. Dr Wang is Director of the Erhai Lake National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station in Yunnan and Dean of Yunnan Dali Research institute of SJTU. Dr Wang’s research focuses on lake eutrophication control and rural area domestic wastewater treatment. Dr Wang has published more than 100 research articles on wastewater treatment or lake eutrophication control. Dr Wang has been granted over 20 patents, The patented technologies have been successfully applied in Dali, Yunnan. In addition, he serves as a council member of the Lake Branch under the Chinese Society of Oceanology and Limnology and on the editorial board of the Journal of Environmental Engineering Technology.
Prof. Xiaoyun Xu
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitySpeech Title:
Biography: Prof. Xiaoyun Xu earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in 2015. Following her doctoral studies, she conducted three years of postdoctoral research in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at SJTU and spent one year as a visiting scholar in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Florida. In 2019, she joined SJTU as an Associate Professor. Her research focuses on the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in the environment, remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils, and the design of engineered carbon materials for contaminant control. She has published over 100 SCI-indexed papers in leading environmental journals such as Nature Communications, Environmental Science & Technology, and Water Research, with 8 highly cited papers and an H-index of 44. She has been selected for the National Youth Talent Program, Shanghai Rising-Star Program, and Stanford University’s "World’s Top 2% Scientists" list; She currently serves on the ES&T Early Career Editorial Board and as a Youth Committee Member of the Soil Remediation Division, Chinese Society of Soil Science.
Prof. Yancai Yao
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitySpeech Title:
Biography: Prof. Yancai Yao is an associate professor in the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). She obtained her Ph.D. from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei. Dr. Yao’s research specializes in the atomic-scale controlled synthesis of functional materials and electrochemical water treatment technologies. As the first or corresponding author, she has published 28 SCI papers in journals such as Nat. Catal., Nat. Synth., Nat. Commun., PNAS, JACS, Angew, ES&T, etc. Her work have garnered significant international attention, with highlights in Nature Catalysis, Chemical Reviews, Technology Times, and EurekAlert!, as well as extensive media coverage by Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily and Science Network. She has been honored with the "Top 2% Global Scientists List", the "Outstanding Graduate Supervisor Award" at the ACS Annual Conference, the "President’s Outstanding Award" from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the "Top 100 Excellent Doctoral Theses" award by CAS. She has also served as a Young Editor for international journals such as National Science Open, Carbon Neutralization, and EcoEnergy.
Prof. De-Yin Hou
National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesSpeech Title:
Biography: Prof. De-Yin Hou is the deputy director of National Engineering Research Center, he obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2010. Dr. Hou’s research focuses on membrane separation technology, wastewater treatment and resource recovery. Dr. Hou has published more than 100 research articles in international journals and applied for more than 30 invention patents. His research and development in membrane distillation technology has received two science and technology awards. In recent years, Dr. Hou has developed a series of superwetting membrane materials, such as superhydrophobic membranes and superhydrophilic membranes, and has achieved industrial production and application demonstration. Dr. Hou also developed high-efficiency membrane distillation equipment for concentrating high-salinity wastewater, which has been applied in landfill leachate treatment, coal chemical wastewater concentration, and desulfurization wastewater treatment.
Prof. Wendong Wei
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitySpeech Title:
Biography: Prof. Wendong Wei is a Professor, Doctoral Advisor, and Chair of the Department of Environmental Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), honored as a Chang Jiang Young Scholar. His research focuses on carbon neutrality and environmental management, spanning energy-environment systems engineering and Sustainable AI. He has published over 50 papers as first or corresponding author in leading journals such as Nature Sustainability, One Earth, Fundamental Research, and the Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His work is supported by numerous grants, including those from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). His leadership extends to key international and national posts, including serving as Associate Editor for Carbon Footprints, Deputy Chief Engineer for the WFEO Committee on Engineering and Environment, and an Advisory Expert to China's Ministry of Finance on sustainable disclosure.
Prof. Yayi Wang
State Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji UniversitySpeech Title:
Biography: Dr. Yayi Wang is a Professor at the College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University. She received Ph. D. (2004) and M.S. (2001) in Municipal Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology. Dr. Wang’s research focuses on innovative nitrogen removal processes (Anammox, SHARON), enhanced biological phosphorus removal, the elimination of emerging pollutants (antibiotic and antibiotic resistance genes) and the assessment and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (N2O). She has published over 100 papers in high-impact international journals, including Nature Sustainability, Nature Water, Environmental Science & Technology, and Water Research. According to Scopus, Dr. Wang has an h-index of approximately 51 and more than 7,600 citations, and has been listed among the world’s top 2% of scientists (2025) in Environmental Sciences. She has led over 30 research projects, holds 32 invention patents, and has contributed to four national industry standards. Dr. Wang is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (2022), the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (2015), and the Changjiang Young Scholars Program by the Ministry of Education (2016). She currently serves as an Associate Editor of Water Research X and is an active member of the International Water Association (IWA).



















