Research Group 2017-11-27

Main research areas:

1. Remediation technology of contaminated soil and groundwater

2. Transport and transformation of contaminants at the interface of soil-water-plant

3. Development of functional materials for application in environmental remediation

4. Implementation of bioavailability in ecological and human risk assessment

5. Biochar- and humification-based C sequestration and its eco-environmental effect

The research group was established in 2009. The faculties in the group are teaching the courses of “Introduction to the Environmental Science”, “Soil Pollution Control and Remediation Engineering”, “Environmental Soil Science” for undergraduate, and “Principles of Environmental Chemistry”, “Soil and Groundwater Remediation” for postgraduate. Since 2009, the group has been in charge of over 20 projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, etc. More than 130 SCI research papers have been published in major journals in the field of Environmental Science and Engineering, such as Environmental Science and Technology, Water Research, etc. The breakthrough results on the research of characterization and immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soils was highlighted in Chemical and Engineering News, China Science Newspaper, etc. Professor Xinde Cao, the group leader, has been recognized as one of the most cited chinese researchers during the past three years. He currently serves the Associate Editor of Chemosphere and Editorial Board for Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability, Environmental Science Pollution Research, etc.

Our work consists of the following aspects: 1) in-vivo and in-vitro methods are combined to study the bioavailability/ bioaccessibility of typical heavy metals (Pb, As, etc.) in contaminated soils, and the interaction between speciation transformation and bioaccessibility of heavy metals in the simulated digestive system; 2) modern instrumental analysis and numerical modelling are used to elucidate the chemical processes of heavy metals at the interface of water, soil, mineral and functional materials; 3) C-based, P-based, S-based and other environmental multi-functional materials derived from solid waste are produced and applied in the remediation of contaminated soil, wastewater, and waste gas; 4) in-situ immobilization/stabilization technology for heavy metal-contaminated soil, the integrated approach for simultaneous remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil and groundwater, and other new remediation technology, are successfully developed and applied in the remediation of the electronic waste recycling sites, shooting range, CCA-treated wood plants, electroplating plants, and other contaminated sites; 5) carbon sequestration and ecological environment benefits via converting waste biomass into biochar and inputting it into soil, are also studied.

Our group members have been actively involved in international cooperation. There exists long-term collaboration between our group and the research institutes from US, UK, and Australia. Many world-renowned scientists visited our lab, and the other way around many members from our group went to the world-class universities to study and work as a visiting scholar.

Now, soil and groundwater remediation has been one of the key research lines in the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, SJTU. Students who have a background in Environmental Science & Engineering, Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Materials, and Biology are more than welcome to join in our group