研究项目

This project is going to study the theories of multiverse by using philosophical tools.

Alternative Theories of Dark Matter.

This project is going to constrain the properties of dark matter, including the annihilation cross-section, rest mass and the possible annihilation channels, by astrophysical data.

To constrain dark matter properties by using recent data of galaxies and galaxy clusters.

Constraining dark matter properties by cosmological and astrophysical data

This project is going to detect any possible signals of annihilating dark matter by radio observations. 

Co-Investigator(s)：Leung, Chun Sing * Ng, Chi Yung Stephen *

Teacher Workshops on STEM education

Co-Investigator(s): Dr CHENG, Mo Yin Vivian 鄭慕賢

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department / HKBU, CUHK and CityU

This is a project using environmental DNA to assess the biodiversity of freshwater fauna in local reservoirs and associated catchment areas.

Co-Investigator(s): CHU, Ka Hou * TSANG, Ling Ming *

This study is a preliminary study to study the feasibility of using a field-caging setup to study settled propagule in a Sargassum bed. Using the field caging setup, the availability of pelagic propagules for a given area could be assessed. The findings of this study will facilitate the understanding of propagule supply to a Sargassum bed and elucidate the importance of propagule supply in the population connectivity.

A study camp on marine conservation for 5 local secondary schools. The content included lectures, field visits and laboratory on marine science and conservation.

Marine red algae, phylum Rhodophyta, are ecologically and economically important organisms. They were hypothesized to be a critical transitional stage between plant and animal in the evolution. The ecology and phylogeny (how closely related the different algae are) of these important organisms, however, have not been well understood. The elucidation of the phylogeny and the systematic classification of the red algae could provide important information and insights for their conservation and sustainable use, as well as their role in linking the evolution of animal and plant. The systematic classification of the red algae has long been hampered by their simple but largely variable morphology. With the recent advance of biotechnology on DNA phylogenetic studies, we could decipher more information on the classification of the algae. Inherent restrictions, however, were there of genealogical genetic markers, which is based on the comparison of how similar the genetic information (sequence) among different algae, to reveal the taxonomy in the higher taxonomic level, e.g. ordinal classification. The proposed study aims at using gene order information (the arrangement of the genes) of the genome of an organelle, mitochondrion (mitogenome), which is an independent genetic marker in contrary to genealogical markers, to elucidate the classification of red algae in ordinal level. With the complete mitogenomic information, insights on the role of the Rhodophyta as the linkage between the evolution of animal and plant could be gained. In addition, based on the genetic information revealed, we could develop more informative genetic markers for subsequent studies on phylogeny and phylogeography of red algae. These studies, which are for the determination of relationship among different algae or of the same alga among different geographical region, will benefit our understanding on the evolution as well as the conservation and sustainable use of this important marine organism.

This is a territory-wise update of seaweed record in Hong Kong.

Funding Source: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department

Co-Investigator(s): ANG, Put O Jr *

By comparing with the available marine biodiversity inventory in the western waters, this project aims at detecting any undiscovered (cryptic) biodiversity using the high-throughput sequencing technique on the trace environmental DNA (eDNA) left by the marine organisms in the area.

-

Attributing to the tradition of Chinese such as the luxury seafood consumption, the growth of Chinese economy would potentially possess threat to various wild animals. The threat to shark is one of the most significant global examples of this kind, since the increased consumption of Shark Fin Soup in Chinese culture as a symbol of wealth and vitality has led to the over-exploitation of sharks. Hong Kong and later China have been recognized as the largest shark fin importer globally. The proposed study aims at addressing a question whether the current formal education is effective in promoting shark conservation in the primary schools in the Chinese communities. In addition to a comprehensive curriculum review in primary subjects with respect to the shark and wildlife conservation, a questionnaire survey to reveal the conceptual understanding of the ecological role of sharks, the perception of the primary school students on shark and their shark-consumption habit will be conducted. Other potential correlations among the preference for shark fin consumption, students’ knowledge, perceptions on shark, academic performance and source of ecological knowledge will be assessed so as to explore the major factors attributing to the shark fin consumption. Up to 1000 questionnaires will be distributed to at least 10 schools spanning in at least three cities in the eastern coast of mainland China, where are the much wealthier region resembling the higher potential in luxury seafood consumption. By incorporating the review of the subjects’ curriculum and the results of survey on the conceptual understanding and perception of primary students’ on sharks, the findings of the proposed study would provide insights on the role of formal education on the shark conservation in China, and identify any loopholes in the current curriculum in conserving sharks.

Co-Investigator(s): CHEN, Yung Hui * Dr CHEUNG, Ting On Lewis 張定安 TSOI KWOK HO 蔡國豪 #

Marine protected area (MPA) is a useful tool to conserve marine biodiversity, the ecosystem function and service. To assess the MPA’s effectiveness, some natural indicators such as the abundance, population structure of focal species, habitat distribution and complexity, structure of the community, etc., are used. Comparison of the abundance and species found inside and outside MPA would shed lights on the successfulness of the MPA in conserving the marine biodiversity literally. However, the two commonly used approaches, the underwater visual censuses method and the video recording approach, possess inherent limitations, hindering the accurate assessment of the MPA effectiveness. The proposed study is to use the environmental DNA (eDNA), which is a relatively new method in species detection and monitoring in the natural environment without actually having them observed, to reveal any cryptic biodiversity that is not discovered by the conventional methods. The aims of this study is to test the feasibility of using the eDNA technology to assess the fish biodiversity of the Tung Ping Chau Marine Park (TPCMP) and to elucidate the effectiveness of the marine park in protecting the biodiversity based on this comprehensive dataset. The result of biodiversity revealed by NGS will be compared to that obtained by the conventional ecological survey. Any additional species revealed in the current study will be regarded as newly discovered cryptic taxa. This study will be the first of the kind to use eDNA assessing the biodiversity of MPA. The successful demonstration on the utility of eDNA to evaluate the MPA effectiveness would provide critical implication on the necessity to include such technique into the formal procedure in evaluating MPA effectiveness.

This research seeks for an evidence-based investigation on the effectiveness of AR Sandbox on geographical education, relating to teaching of topics on both physical and human geography. Students from secondary schools would be invited to experience lessons specifically designed using AR Sandbox. Pre- and post-test evaluation on students' learning outcomes, and lesson observations would be administered to assess the effectiveness of this technology on learning geography.

Co-Chief Investigator: Dr. CHOW Sin Yin Alice

Co-Investigator(s): Prof LEE, Chi Kin John 李子建; Dr CHEUNG, Ting On Lewis 張定安; Dr FOK, Lincoln 霍年亨; Dr PEI, Qing 裴卿; Dr HUI, Lai Hang 許禮亨; Dr HU, Zhiyong 胡智勇

This proposal aims at understanding students’ conceptions of learning using a blended learning approach. Field learning tasks undertaken by students would be shared on the e-learning platform for peer comments and feedbacks. This way of using information technologies in field-learning seeks to engage students to reflect on and be self-motivated in their own learning. Through constructive interchanges of ideas, each group would benefit by analyzing the work of their peers, and self-reflection of peers’ comments on their own work. Students’ evaluation about the concepts learnt through blended learning approach, and its usefulness are indicators of effectiveness of this pedagogical mode. Data is collected from annotated comments and feedbacks, questionnaires and group or individual interviews.

Co-Investigator(s): WONG MAN YEE, EMMY 黃敏兒 #

An innovative, multi-functional and low-cost datalogging system (called mobile logger with its specific app called SESlogger for any Android devices) was invented by the Project Leader in which some crucial strategies for student-centred learning and collaborative learning were specifically embedded in the design and development of this digital device for enabling learners to conduct many kinds of scientific experiments or field trip activities within or outside the schools. It is much cheaper than the commercial product by 10-15 times as it was built upon the Arduino open-source microcontroller platform and bundled with various kinds of sensors. The purpose of this project is to apply and promote the use of this new device to different education sectors in Hong Kong and overseas.

Educational research reveals that case studies can be a pedagogically powerful method for teaching scientific concepts and contents as well as scientific investigation skills and critical thinking. However, there has been rather little use of case study teaching in local science education. In response to the Chief Executive 2015 Policy Address in enriching the curricular and learning activities of Science, Technology and Mathematics, and thereby allowing primary and secondary students to fully realise their potential in innovation under the “Belt and Road” Initiative, this project aims to investigate the feasibility of this new teaching method in STEM education through (a) the development of 2-3 pilot cases (with explicit linkage to some e-learning materials in senior secondary science or mathematics subjects) on some large-scale or famous STEM-related projects and (b) evaluation of the learning effectiveness on the classroom implementation in few teacher education courses at EdUHK.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr LEE, Hoi Man 李凱雯 Dr TSANG, Yiu Fai 曾耀輝

By constructing local structures around selected lanthanide ions and simulating the variations of the conditions of sample preparation, first-principles calculations combined with hybrid density functional theory and multi-configuration interaction method are adopted to obtain thermodynamic, electronic and spectroscopic properties of solid materials with lanthanide ions and/or various point defects. Apart from direct comparison with some limited experimental data as available in the literature, the validity and reliability of our first principles calculations will be ensured by a cross-check with a well-established semi-empirical approach in which the underlying parameters will be fitted to the spectroscopic data as observed by other researchers to yield more accurate values of the calculated results. The current importance of this work is reflected by the United Nations’ declaration of 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies and the award of the Nobel Physics prize in 2014 for the blue LED invention.

Co-Investigator(s): LI BANGXING 李邦興 #

For nearly two dozen e-Learning devices which have been or are being acquired by the SES Department, there are a number of built-in sensors (e.g. microphone, light sensor, gravity sensor, gyroscope, magnetic sensor and GPS etc.) and external sensors (e.g. CO and CO2 sensors, temperature and pressure sensors, infrared temperature sensor etc) and corresponding Apps which could be innovatively used for carrying out various scientific experiments in various science-related courses within and outside the classroom environment (especially for field trips). This proposal aims to develop some exemplary scientific investigation experiments (with worksheets and guiding questions) as based on those e-Learning devices and sensors for pilot implementation in selected courses.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr YEUNG, Chi Ho 楊志豪

In many disciplines of science and engineering education, online (or called remote-controlled) experiments are recently emerging as another important exemplar of technology-enhanced learning because it can support not only e-learning for engaging students with authentic experiments but also break through the spatial and temporal constraints of conducting experiments. Over the last two decades, there exist a number of famous remote-controlled experiments for engineering and science (mostly in physics) education but they are generally not only expensive but also difficult for widespread applications in education because of the proprietary hardware and software used for their development. Besides, many of those experiments were just converted directly from the existing traditional experiments by adding the remote control functions or features and so they generally lack effective pedagogies to make the best use of the online mode of learning. In the last two years, we have formulated an innovative low-cost and open-source approach for developing online experiments. Through the Internet, students can readily set and control the Arduino-based platform for conducting the experiments in their smart phones, tablets or computers at anytime and anywhere by using a web browser without installing any bulky and/or proprietary plugins. We shall integrate a kind of pedagogy called Prediction-Observation-Explanation into a number of online science experiments (as already been successfully developed at the EdUHK) for converting them into some self-contained courseware for students’ self-regulated learning.

Co-Investigator(s): THO SIEW WEI 涂修威 # Dr CHAN, Chi Keung 陳志強 Dr CHEANG, Chi Chiu 蔣志超

Dean’s Strategic Research Area Fund (2016-17) HK$3,500,000. This proposal seeks to build a coherent multidisciplinary team incorporating our existing strength and expertise in analytical chemistry, ecology, conservation, toxicology, molecular biology, environmental engineering, socioeconomics and education, to embrace the environmental challenges presented to Hong Kong. Our vision is to build our core capability in this important strategic research area through interdisciplinary research, with a view to establish the Education University of Hong Kong as the opinion leaders in environmental issues and education in the local community. Research in the last decade showed that some chemicals (known as endocrine disrupting chemicals, EDCs) used extensively in household and consumer products, albeit occurring in very low concentration (parts per trillion) in the environment and food, can disturb the hormonal balance, leading to major consequence including reproductive impairment, abnormal development and growth retardation of animals (including humans). In this proposal, we will organize ourselves into three interdisciplinary teams working in close collaboration with each other to tackle environmental and public health problems caused by EDCs.

Fund Source: Dean’s Strategic Research Area Fund (2016-17)

Amount: HK$3500000

Fund Source: State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution Competitive Grants

Earlier, we have developed a chemical device known as the “Artificial Mussel” (AM) which can provide a time-integrated estimate of metal concentrations in the environment. This has attracted international collaboration with Scotland, Iceland, Portugal, South Africa, Australia and South Korea. The overall results demonstrated that AM can provide a reliable time-integrated estimate of metal concentration over large biogeographic areas with very different hydrographic conditions, and overcome the shortcomings of monitoring metals in water, sediment and the use of biomonitors. Since 2016, we have further extended our collaboration to Bangladesh, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Norway, Mexico and Mainland China.

-

This project is aimed at studying the toxic effects of different environmental contaminants in sewage effluent discharged from two sewage treatment plants to Mai Po RAMSAR site, the most important biological conservation site in South China. I. Analysis of environmental (sewage/river water/pond water/sediment) and biota (fish/shrimp) samples for assessment of persistent toxic substances (Heavy Metals (HMs) and Metalloid; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs); Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs); Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs); and Erythromycin). II. Analysis of physical characteristics of environmental (sewage/river water/pond water/sediment) and biota (fish/shrimp) samples (Total Suspended Solids (TSS); Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS); Total Solids (TS%); Volatile Solids (VS%); pH; Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD); 5-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) (with nitrifier inhibitor); Lipid contents of biota.

Mai Po Marshes have been facing increasing contamination in recent years, because of the discharge of domestic sewage, livestock wastewater, industrial effluent and agrochemicals into Deep Bay from the Pearl River, Shenzhen River and Shan Pui River. This may affect the migratory birds due to consuming organisms which may contain high levels of persistent toxic substances (PTS). We hypothesize that Yuen Long Sewage Treatment Work and Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Work have different removal efficiencies for different PTS, and some of the PTS (As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, DDT, PBDEs, PAHs and erythromycin) will find their ways into the Ramsar site and may impose adverse effects on biota, migratory birds and humans. Major objectives of this study are as the following: (1) To assess the removal efficiencies of PTS in different stages of Yuen Long and Shek Wu Hui STWs, and (2) To evaluate their concentrations and spatial distributions around the Ramsar site (by means of different bioassay tests ), and to conduct human health risk assessments (based on the studied PTS contained in shrimps- and fish)

Co-Investigator(s): LEUNG, Anna Oi Wah *

Ecological Study - To study the ecological influence, if any, of the landfill operation on the adjacent ecosystems. To monitor ecological successions at restored areas for improving the landscaping restoration at landfill.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr MO, Wing Yin 巫永然

Ecological Study - To study the ecological influence, if any, of the landfill operation on the adjacent ecosystems. To monitor ecological successions at restored areas for improving the landscaping restoration at landfill.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr MO, Wing Yin 巫永然

Heavy metal (such as lead, cadmium, chromium, etc.) exposure has become an urgent public health problem in Hong Kong over the last few months. It has also been recognised that high heavy metal level may have adverse effects on adults, one of which is reproductive function leading to abnormal semen parameters and reduction of male fertility. However, the results are not by any means conclusive as several confounding variables could have affected the observations. Now in Hong Kong, there is a window of opportunity to study the relationship, if any, between heavy metal level in the blood and semen parameters in couples presenting with infertility. In this study we are going to investigate this issue and the mechanism behind it. To determine if there is a significant relationship between blood heavy metal level and semen parameters, and the possible mechanism.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr MO, Wing Yin 巫永然

The construction of River Channels at Ta Kwu Ling of Ping Yuen River was completed in April 2006, aiming at improving the flow capacity of the river, to alleviating local flooding of the areas, during the wet seasons (DSD, 2007). In order to improve the visual impact and maintain habitat for wildlife, the channel embankments were generally covered by reinforced grass and/or perforated precast concrete base (i.e. grasscrete). Other environmental friendly features included aquatic planting bays along and adjacent to certain dry-weather flow channels, for maintaining a natural appearance. The geotextile mat was used to enhance the erosion resistance, by providing effective anchor to the root systems of grasses, forming a composite soil/root mat. Detailed instructions with regards to maintenance and repair of various facilities including those which serve as support for plants, such as the geotextile mat for reinforced grass system, aquatic planting bays and associated gabion walls, and pond features, were provided (DSD, 2007). Constructed wetlands are effective in purifying contaminants in wastewater which include domestic wastewater (with high biological oxygen demands and nutrient contents such as nitrogen and phosphorus), as well as industrial wastes (dominated by heavy metals and other toxic chemical compounds, such as pesticides and phenols, pending on the type of industries). There seems to be a need to conduct this proposed project, as some of the vegetation originally planted at the site, were not able to survive, and part of the areas have been taken over by some undesirable plant species. The major objectives of this investigation are to (1) use wetland plants for purifying wastewater, stabilizing the embankment as well as improving the scenic value of the site; (2) create habitats using different wetland species suitable for a wide range of biological organisms, such as dragonflies, snails, fish, etc); and (3) raise environmental awareness concerning ecological balance and biological conservation for school students as well as the general to use the sites as open-air classrooms.

Co-Investigator(s): CHOW Ka Lai * LEUNG Anna Oi-Wai * Dr MAN, Yu Bon 文裕邦

The ultimate goal of this project is to make use of local ingredients (food wastes and food processing wastes) to formulate fish pellets for the local aquaculture industry. Positive impacts on the environment, society and the marine aquaculture industry could be finally achieved, by promoting the sustainable development of the industry, both economically and ecologically. The main objectives of the present project are to: (1) develop suitable feed formulations for 3 different popular marine fish species, namely Sabah grouper, Pompano and Star snapper, using primarily local ingredients (food wastes and food processing wastes); (2) conduct laboratory-scale feeding trials on the growth performance of the 3 species; (3) conduct field-scale feeding trials to validate results obtained by laboratory-scale feeding trials; and (4) assess potential health risks of cultured products, in terms of concentrations of major undesirable chemicals contained in fish flesh.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr MO, Wing Yin 巫永然 Dr. CHOW, Ka Lai *

The major objective of this project is to upgrade food wastes as feeds for culturing freshwater fish in a safer and healthier environment, at a lower cost and producing fish with fewer contaminants (such as DDT and mercury) than the commercial feed pellets available in South China, based on our previous successful projects: (1) Appropriate combinations of food wastes (meat and vegetables) are able to replace a major portion of fish meal for cultivating safe and quality low-trophic level fish, at a lower cost. (2) Additions of probiotics and enzymes can further enhance the feed conversion ratio of feeds, and the immunity of fish. (3) Additions of Chinese medicinal herbs can enhance the immunity of fish (e.g., against intestinal infection of grass carp). Major experiments will be conducted at The Hong Kong Institute of Education (chemical and physiological analyses), EcoPark (laboratory-scale feeding trials) and fish ponds located in the New Territories (field-scale feeding trials). The upgraded food waste feed pellets will also be produced in the EcoPark. It is hoped that this project will (1) turn food wastes into valuable resources by fermentation using microorganisms, (2) provide safe and quality freshwater fish, at a lower cost, (3) enhance fish immunity using Chinese herbal medicine, instead of using antibiotics and other drugs, and (4) partially ease the pressure of treating/disposing the ever increasing amount of food wastes generated in Hong Kong.

Ecological Study - To study the ecological influence, if any, of the landfill operation on the adjacent ecosystems. To monitor ecological successions at restored areas for improving the landscaping restoration at landfill.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr MAN, Yu Bon 文裕邦 Dr MO, Wing Yin 巫永然

This research studies a snapshot of primary/elementary school, junior secondary/middle school, senior secondary/high school students’ STEM aspirations in Asian economies (i.e. Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and others)

Co-Investigator(s): Prof CHIU, Wing Kai Stephen 趙永佳 Prof Hsu Ying-shao * Prof Tan Aik-ling *

-

-

This study aims to research the under-explored area in STEM education of teacher professional development to support students with mild intellectual disabilities (ID).

Co-Investigator(s): Dr CHENG, Nga Yee Irene 鄭雅儀 Dr LEE, Tai Hoi Theodore 李泰開 Dr LI, Wai Chin 李偉展

Fund Source: General Research Fund (GRF) project funded by University Grant Council (UGC)

Co-Investigator(s): Dr WAN, Zhihong 萬志宏

Co-Investigator(s): Dr WAN, Zhihong 萬志宏 Dr ZHAN, Ying 詹穎

Black-box optimization corresponds to a class of optimization problems with a complicated or an unknown objective function, i.e. a “black-box” function, such that its output values at specific inputs can only be measured by expensive or time-consuming processes. They are very challenging and cannot be tackled by conventional optimization algorithms which are based on the knowledge of a known objective function. Nevertheless, they are crucial in a wide range of applications in science and engineering. Yet, unlike conventional “white-box” optimization problems where physicists have devoted decades of efforts in developing a fundamental understanding of their macroscopic properties which has led to insightful developments, the awareness of black-box problems in the physics community and the attempts to address them are very limited. This is partly because an unknown objective function is incompatible with conventional statistical physics tools. As a result, research on black-box optimization is dominated by algorithm-oriented approaches without a thorough understanding underlying black-box optimization problems. In the proposed research, we will overcome the obstacle of an unknown objective function and apply statistical physics tools to (1) develop a fundamental understanding of the nature of black-box optimization problems, (2) derive a macroscopic description of their behaviors and understand the effectiveness of their existing solution methods, and (3) apply these insights to improve existing solution methods, and devise new physics-inspired and understanding-driven algorithms for black-box problems. Specifically, we will establish a theoretical framework to study black-box optimization problems with statistical physics. We will apply tools from statistical physics to (a) understand the effectiveness of various sampling strategies in relation with the nature of black-box objective functions, (b) reveal the relation between the objective function fitting stage and the subsequent optimization stage in conventional modeling-fitting-optimizing approaches for black-box problems, (c) map black-box problems to spin glasses and disordered systems of noisy information retrieval and associate memory, (d) coarse-grain black-box problems and examine the validity of the coarse-grained systems as representatives of the original systems with reduced dimensionality, and finally (e) use all the above theoretical insights to improve and inform existing black-box solution methods, and devise new physics-inspired and understanding-driven algorithms for black-box optimization problems.

Optimization corresponds to the task to identify a configuration of variables to maximize or minimize an objective function. It is implicitly implemented in a wide range of daily activities, as well as numerous tasks in research, industry and commerce. Computer scientists, operations researchers and applied mathematicians have devoted great efforts to develop optimization algorithms to tackle specific tasks, and found that some optimization problems are more difficult to solve than the others. Yet, the origins of such difficulties are not fully understood and are not a major interest in conventional studies. Definitely, a clear understanding will lead to stimulating clues to improve optimization algorithms and their ability to tackle hard problems. Physicists play an important role to develop a fundamental understanding of optimization problems by drawing an analogy with physical systems which tend to achieve the state with the lowest energy, analogous to an optimal state. Nevertheless, physicists are interested in aspects of optimization problems that conventional optimization researchers find unrealistic, irrelevant or impractical. This leads to a limited recognition of the physics-based results among conventional optimization researchers and thus, isolated developments in the two individual areas. We propose to better integrate and bridge physics and combinatorial optimization problems, by (1) using physical tools to study aspects of optimization problems where optimization researchers find most practical, (2) improving methodologies in both areas instead of improving merely the methodologies from physics, and (3) converting the new understandings into new applications.

Optimization problems correspond to the tasks to optimize a set of variables to extremize an objective function. They are at the center of a wide range of applications ranging from timetable scheduling and delivery of goods to sophisticated optimization processes in industry and commerce. Computer scientists and mathematicians have long been deriving optimization algorithms to identify the optimal solution for specific problems, but their conventional methodologies do not allow them to understand why optimization problems become difficult to solve in some parameter regimes. They leave the task to physicists, who developed a fundamental understanding on optimization problems by drawing analogy with physical systems. They identified parameter regimes where solutions exist but are difficult to find, and these understandings lead to new optimization algorithms which work beyond the limit of conventional algorithms. Nevertheless, these findings are not fully recognized by computer scientists and mathematicians as there are still missing connections between the theory and the practical optimization problems. In the proposed research, we will apply statistical physics to improve our understanding on optimization problems, and to apply these findings to derive innovative optimization algorithms readily applicable to a wide range of applications. Both real and state space, small and large systems will be studied.

Traffic congestions are common in global cities. While road expansion is not always feasible and is not a sustainable approach, optimizing and coordinating traffic flows become the only solution. Unlike existing navigation methods which suggest several alternative routes for individual users to choose, a traffic coordination system will assign a path to each individual such that a global objective, e.g. congestion mitigation, is achieved. It is a computationally difficult task since the routes of all vehicles have to be determined and coordinated simultaneously. In this research project, we will tackle the problem through statistical physics. Simple models of transportation network will be constructed, simulated and analyzed, and existing static path coordination methods will be applied. A new algorithm for dynamical path coordination will be derived by considering repeated network adaptation. The algorithms will be tested on real datasets to examine its effectiveness in real applications. We will also reveal the impact of failures on transportation networks, and adaptation at individual and system levels. Unlike conventional heuristics approaches, laws governing traffic dynamics will be identified and then developed into useful applications. The results will have important environmental, social and economical impacts, and will contribute to the sustainability of existing infrastructures.

In our proposed research, we aim to employ techniques in text mining and statistical inference, integrated with the Physics approaches of optimization, and the approaches for complex networks and the Science of Science, (1) to understand examples where knowledges are re-discovered independently due to ineffective knowledge flow, and then to derive tools to reduce future knowledge re-discovery and to save resources wasted on duplicated research; (2) to give a holistic picture of research development within and connecting different areas of research; (3) and ultimately, to apply all our findings to devise new search protocols which optimize literature search, to facilitate knowledge flow in the research community as a whole. We will first focus our study on the literatures in the different areas of Physics, of which the publication database is readily available, and extend the methods to other areas upon successful attempts.

An efficient and accurate literature search is a crucial first step in research, but it is never easy; research ideas are often combinations of entities, concepts, theories and methodologies, related in a complex way, difficult to be searched for or identified by conventional keyword-based search engines. This is further complicated by the rapidly expanding literature and the increasingly cross-disciplinary nature of research. One may have to spend extensive time and effort, even with the aid of intuition and luck, to complete literature search but remain at risk of missing relevant information. Nevertheless, even with a very powerful search engine which outputs a list of the most relevant literature, there are non-trivial connections underlying these different research-papers which constitute a holistic picture of research development in the area. Such picture is not identified by search engines, and hence is not known to the searchers. As literature search over a comprehensive database is the major channel of knowledge flow within the research community, the ineffectiveness of search systems has rendered knowledge flow sub-optimal. In the long run, this impacts negatively on research development in every area. In our proposed research, we aim to employ techniques in text mining and statistical inference, integrated with the Physics approaches of optimization, and the approaches for complex networks and the Science of Science, to reveal the extent of effectiveness of knowledge flow in the research community. 

In the proposed research, we will apply statistical physics to understand the nature and the limitation of transportation optimization, and use these insights to derive practical optimization algorithms. Similar success by statistical physics has been demonstrated in other optimization problems, which has led to ground-breaking advances. Our objective is threefold. Firstly, we aim to reveal the dynamics and the interplay of routing strategies leading to user equilibriums. We then formulate a simple model to understand analytically the emergence of these sub-optimal states. Secondly, we aim to devise algorithms which coordinate the spatial-temporal routes of individuals, driving the system towards the global optimum. We will also reveal the density of sub-optimal states in the state space, which lead to insights into the intrinsic sub-optimality of transportation networks and thus the limitation of optimization algorithms. Finally, we aim to devise algorithms to optimally divert traffic in cases of disturbances, e.g. road blockage due car crashes, which are less explored but as important as recurrent traffic optimization.

The aim of the proposed study is to investigate the effects of different types of well characterised biochars (or engineered biochars) on heavy metal removal in wastewater treatment systems under different reducing and oxidizing conditions.

Project amount: HK$144,000

The project aims to develop and optimize a microalgae cultivation system which is intended for production of feed supplement and biofuels. The system would also be beneficial to fixation of carbon dioxide and mitigation of global climate change. The lab-scale microalgae cultivation system includes a biomass production optimizer (i.e. open-pond or closed photo-bioreactor) and a cost-effective biomass harvesting device.

In this project, an in-depth investigation on the removal mechanisms of PPCPs in biological treatment systems with varying designs, which are commonly used in Hong Kong, China, and Scotland, will be carried out.

Co-Investigator(s): Prof Zhou, Shaoqi *

The overall aim of this research is to assess and evaluate the environmental and health risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and their alternatives (e.g., BPF and BPS) in the water environment and urine samples collected from kindergarten and primary school students.

To compare and characterize the inhibitory effects of typical soil organic(s) on the efficiency of CO2 fixation by NPMC under aerobic or semi-aerobic conditions.

Project amount: HK$796,505

Co-Investigator(s): Prof Wang, Lei *

The overall objective of this study is to investigate the occurrence and fate of personal care products (PCPs) presented in sewage treatment plants.

The overall aim of this research is to evaluate the removal mechanisms of selected EDCs under dynamic redox conditions in different engineered biochar-enhanced bioreactors. 

Co-Investigator(s): Li, Xiaoyan *  Rinklebe, Jörg *

The overall aim of this research is to evaluate the removal mechanisms of selected PPCPs and EDCs in different photobioreactors with engineered biochars and algal-bacterial consortium. 

The overall aim of this research is to evaluate the removal mechanisms of selected PPCPs and EDCs in bioreactors with engineered biochars. 

This study will provide a potentially inexpensive source of carbon substrate from different organic wastes for the production of industrially relevant bio-derived biodegradable materials with specific properties through the exploration of novel and advanced routes for resource recovery.

Co-Investigator(s): Prof WONG, Ming Hung 黃銘洪 Dr SONG, Yanjie 宋燕捷 Dr LI, Wai Chin 李偉展

The objectives of this study are to design a study plan for the research of bioaerosol in green buildings; to assess the potential environmental/health effects of bioaerosols; and to supplement additional information to the existing indoor air quality guidelines to airborne bacteria analysis.

To familiarize teachers with knowledge on environmental protection, with particular reference to local context; To equip teachers with teaching skills in implementing environmental education and devising school-based activities for students.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr WONG, Tai Choi Richard 黃棣才

The project aims to conduct a study on environmental assessment for green building scheme and to investigate current practices of environmental monitoring and analysis for the green buildings.

To investigate the possible synergistic effect on CO2 fixation using typical chemoautotrophs; To develop protocols for the analysis and charaterisation of extracellular free organic carbon (EFOC); To develop a simple bioreactor to eliminate the self-generated EFOC in culture medium.

The proposed study will provide a potentially inexpensive source of carbon substrate from sorted food waste for the production of industrially relevant bio-derived biodegradable materials with desirable properties through the exploration of novel and advanced routes for resource recovery.

This study is aiming at using different types of food waste (fruit peels and vegetables, meat, bone meal and cereal) for producing biochar and incorporated into commercial fish feed for growing two different types of freshwater fish species.

The major purpose of the project is using food waste as a resources to replace part of fish meal in commerical feed for cultureing freshwater fish (Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) and Jade Perch (Scortum Barcoo)). It is hope that fish fed by food waste pellets contain a lower pollutatnts levels than those fish fed by commerical fed. The major objecctives of this study are as the following: (1) to upgrade food wastes as feeds for culturing freshwater fish (Nile tilapia and Jade perch) and determine contaminants (persistent toxic substances (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals (lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg)) ) concentations in food waste feeds compared with commercial feed; (2) to conduct feeding trials of fish using upgrade food wastes as feeds VS commercial feed; and (3) to conduct human health risk assessment for consuming the fish products fed with the food waste based diets compared with those fish fed by commercial feed and purchased from local markets based on the concentrations of DDT, PAHs, Pb and Hg.

This study focuses on the feasibility of recycling food waste for production of fish feed for feeding marine fish. More importantly, the removal mechanisms of pollutants in microbial reactions and bioaccessibility of pollutants in fish gut will be identified.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr TSANG, Yiu Fai 曾耀輝 Dr MO, Wing Yin 巫永然 Prof WONG, Ming Hung 黃銘洪

-

(1) investigation of effects of ROL and external oxygen supply on Fe plaque formation and Cd accumulation among rice genotypes; (2) investigation of effects of ROL on changes of pH, Fe plaque formation on root surfaces and in the rhizosphere, concentration of Cd and Mn in different parts of rice and in rhizosphere soil, and the speciation of Cd in rhizosphere soil via a rhizobox trial; and (3) elucidation of effects of water regimes and organic amendments on Cd speciation and accumulation in rice in Cd-contaminated paddy soil as well as the sustainable mitigation of Cd accumulation in rice

Objectives 1.Investigate the effects of isolated As- and Hg-tolerant rhizobacteria on rice growth and their plant growth promoting mechanisms; 2.Examine the effects of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on As and Hg uptake, accumulation and speciation in rice; 3.Investigate the effects of Fe-oxidising bacteria (FeOB) on Fe plaque formation in rice roots and accumulation of As and Hg in rice; and 4.Explore the feasibility of combing rhizobacteria (PGPR and FeOB) to enhance the As and Hg tolerance of rice and reduce As and Hg accumulation in rice grains.

-

-

1)To investigate the microbial and geochemical characteristics of paddy soils in three metal mines in Guangdong Province, China; 2)To evaluate the impacts of As and Cd contamination on the biomass, abundance, and activity of the microbial community as well as its diversity and composition in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils of rice grown in As-/Cd-contaminated paddy fields; and 3)To elucidate the effects of As and Cd on soil community level physiological profiles as an indicator for microbial community function.

The project is funded under faculty Research Impact Prize and concerns the design and applications of functional molecular materials with interesting magnetic, luminescence and photocatalytic properties.

We propose in this project to extend their applications as multifunctional materials for pollutant analysis and treatment, i.e. the luminous sensing, absorption and catalytic degradation of various pollutant ions (e.g. cyanides, nitrate, chlorite, phosphate or heavy metals) and small molecules (nitrogen, nitrous oxides (NOx), ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO)). These target ions/molecules are detrimental to the quality of water resources and air. Detailed protocols for these applications will be developed by our team and will initially be trialed by our partner in Mainland China in the detection and treatment of various pollutants in freshwater/atmospheric environment.

The aim of this project is to develop efficient CO2 reduction catalysts of the earth-abundant metals cobalt and nickel. Effects of various Brønsted and Lewis acids on the catalytic reaction will be investigated. Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 will also be investigated.

The projects concerns the study on molecular transition-metal catalysts for the reductive coupling of CO2 with nucleophilic substrate bearing various donor atoms. The reductive coupling reactions will be investigated under electro- and photocatalytic condition.

Co-Investigator(s): Prof YEUNG, Yau Yuen 楊友源 ROBERT, Marc *

In this project, we propose to design and study a new class of first-row transition metal (cobalt, copper, nickel and iron) catalysts for the reductive conversion of O2 to H2O2. The reactivity of these catalysts for selective two-electron reduction of O2 to H2O2 will initially be studied by electrochemical and chemical methods. The light-driven photochemical generation of H2O2 will then be investigated using the selected catalysts. In particular, the influence of metal active sites and their coordination environment on the catalytic properties, as well as the corresponding reaction mechanism will also be examined, so as to gain insight for the design of efficient systems for the photocatalytic generation of H2O2.

The project concerns the development of transition-metal catalysts for the reduction of oxygen using non-heme ligands such as macrocyclic or polydentate iminopyridine and polypyridine. The reactivity of these classes of complexes toward oxygen has been investigated using chemical and electrochemical approaches.

Design and synthesis of isocyanide-based luminescent and photosensitizing materials of ruthenium and other transition metals

Our industrial and societal development is heavily dependent on a number of unsustainable and energy intensive multi-electron redox processes, e.g. Haber-Bosch process, to derive and utilize the necessary resources, generating thus excessive greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide). In face of fossil fuel depletion and global climate change, a sustainable and efficient approach of resource and energy utilization will be desirable. Enzyme-catalyzed redox transformation, e.g. by NAD(P)-dependent oxidoreductase, is not only pivotal in biological solar energy conversion (photosynthesis), but also considered as a promising approach for chemoselective and enantiospecific conversion at preparative scale, especially in pharmaceutical industry. However, for its full potential to be harnessed, the co-enzyme challenge, i.e. the regeneration of the oxidizing/reducing equivalents NAD(P)+/NAD(P)H, must be overcome. Reductive regeneration of the enzymatically active 1,4-dihydronicotinamide cofactor involves the concerted transfer of one-proton and two electrons, usually in form of a hydride. Direct electrochemical or chemical regenerations are often inefficient as a result of side-reactions, which produce enzymatically inactive product. Indirect electro- or chemoenzymatic approach using a second enzyme as the electron mediator, though extensively studied, is usually substrate-selective and less tolerant to the change in reaction conditions, rendering the overall coupled reactions complicated to control. So far, only a few literature examples of enzymatic relay fulfill the efficiency needed for commercial applications Transition-metal catalysts are found to effectively mediate concerted transfer of multiple electrons. However, transition-metal regeneration catalysts studied so far are mostly confined to second and third-row transition metals (Rh, Ir and Ru). Catalysts of precious metals are not only uneconomic, but also more tend be toxic and susceptible to poisoning or inhibition, especially by enzymes with metal-binding amino acid side-chains. Therefore, we propose herein to develop sustainable organohydride cofactor regeneration catalysts using earth abundant first-row transition metals. A series of Co, Cu, Fe and Ni complexes containing macrocyclic π-acceptor ligands (imines, oximes and porphyrins) will be synthesized. A systematic investigation will be performed, so that these catalysts will be fine-tuned structurally and electronically to catalyze the reaction with a lowered overpotential and enhanced efficiency. Their catalytic activities will be examined using an electrochemical approach. Variation of intrinsic catalytic properties such as apparent catalytic rate constant (kcat) and turnover frequency as a function of the overpotential (TOF vs η) with different substituents and functionality will be investigated. The catalytic activities will also be evaluated in terms of catalyst stability, product selectivity for the active isomer, current efficiency and product turnover number (TON). It is believed the efficiency and selectivity of the catalytic process will be enhanced through such systematic variations in the coordination sphere. Chemical, electro- and photochemical cofactor regeneration will be performed with selected catalysts. Finally, the catalysts will then be assessed for their compatibility with various amino acids/enzymes and coupled with the enzymatic redox synthesis using common model enzyme/substrate combinations. Our proposed studies should provide valuable insights in the design of molecular catalysts for efficient cofactor regeneration and contribute to the sustainable application of enzymatic redox biotransformation.

The project involves the design of first-row transition metal catalysts for hydrogen generation and investigate the structural and electronic factors affecting the catalytic process. Co and Ni catalysts for hydrogen generation will be synthesized and the influence of ligand on the catalytic activities will be investigated by the systematic variation of the first and second coordination spheres of the metal centers.

The project involves the development of water-oxidation catalysts of earth-abundant transition metals. The activities of the catalysts will be examined using electrochemical methods and the influence of the electronic and structural factors on the activities will be investigated. Chemical and photocatalytic water oxidation of selected catalysts will finally be studied.

The proposed research explores secondary students’ decision making about socio-scientific issues (SSIs) related to biological conservation, from cross-cultural, cross-age and cross-gender perspectives. Many of these SSIs have profound repercussions on global environmental sustainability that transcend cultural boundaries, and that entail international negotiation. In science education, SSIs can contribute to the development of students’ scientific literacy which embraces the ability to be engaged “intelligently in public discourse and debate about matters of scientific and technological concern” (NRC, 1996, p. 13). Furthermore, making informed decisions about SSIs entails critical reasoning and the exercising of responsible citizenship, which are the thrusts of new interdisciplinary curricula in both Hong Kong (e.g. Liberal Studies), and the UK (e.g., citizenship education). SSIs typically involve disagreements over conflicting science-related claims, evaluation of the trustworthiness of those claims based on evidence, and considerations of the pros and cons of decision alternatives from multiple perspectives. Research on SSIs has been focused on multi-perspective reasoning, the evaluation of evidence, value judgement, and the formulation of the criteria for decision making. The possible role of culture, gender, and age-related developmental factors as mediators of decision making about SSIs has been under-explored, and more so for the impact of intercultural interactions on the quality of decision making despite the fact that appreciating cultural connections within these issues is important in achieving intercultural understanding. Culture, gender and age-related development must be taken into account when developing pedagogical approaches to SSI education at the different stages of schooling. This study adopts a comparative perspective and uses a qualitative approach supplemented with quantitative methods. Four secondary schools, two in Hong Kong and the other two in the UK, will be involved in decision making about sociocultural issues and in cross-cultural exchange to study the impact of culture and cross-cultural exchange on students’ decision making about conservation issues. Students from four classes in each school will be engaged as participants, two from the age range of 12-14, and the other two from 16-18 to explore age-related differences in decision making. Students in each class are presented in turn with two conservation issues – animal culling and shark hunting. Data about how students make decisions about the issues before and after interacting with their peers within and outside their locality will be collected through discussion records, supplemented with focus-group interviews. The data will be analysed to reflect the effects of age, gender and cultural contexts on students’ decision making.

This study is intended to contribute in a more systematic and nuanced manner to the debate on the skill-based or knowledge-based nature of ancient technology and the notion of technology as applied science through a longitudinal examination of the nature and evolution of ideas or thoughts underlying technology as they interact with modern science. This collective case study is situated in a wide historical time span to trace the evolution of technological knowledge from ancient to modern times. Early technologies originated in Europe and China will be selected for case study so as to compare the development between the West and the East, and to introduce a socio-cultural dimension to this study.

This project aims to develop upper primary and secondary teachers’ capacity to promote STEM education in their schools using SDL as the major strategy. It provides school based support for teachers to master the essential content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and pedagogical skills for promoting STEM education in general, and developing teachers’ competence in using SDL to empower students learning and applying STEM knowledge and skills in particular.

Co-Investigator(s): Dr CHEANG, Chi Chiu 蔣志超 Dr HO, Wing Kei 何詠基 KWOK PING WAI 郭炳偉 # Dr LEE, Hoi Man 李凱雯 Dr LI, Wai Chin 李偉展 Dr TSANG, Yiu Fai 曾耀輝 Dr YEUNG, Chi Ho 楊志豪 Prof YEUNG, Yau Yuen 楊友源

To study antibiotics and characterize antibiotic-degrading bacteria in sewage

To study and assess halogenated flame retardants in the coastal region of Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta

To study conventional, new persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and trace elements in local cetaceans

-

-

-

-

To examine the occurrence and spatial variations of emerging halogenated organic pollutants in the local marine ecosystem.

To examine the levels of environmental contaminants including tetrabromodiphenyl ether, pentabromodiphenyl ether, hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether, octabromodiphenyl ether, nonabromodiphenyl ether and decabromodiphenyl ether, and perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid in the local coral communities, and to study their distribution and composition profiles in difference coral species

To investigate important groups of flame retardants and plasticizers in cetaceans from coastal region of South China

This study aimed to determine the current levels and spatial distribution off the important coastal zones in East Asia, to assess the magnitude of sediment contamination through a worldwide comparison, to reveal the impacts of urbanization and industrialization on the coastal environment, and to compare the temporal trends of CP contamination between China and Japan. This study also examined the effectiveness of emission controls by a comparison study under the different regulatory situations in China and Japan.

(Early Career Scheme, RGC, HK$1,166,796, 2013-2016), We propose a three-year study to (i)synthesize the g-C3N4 with high crystallinity and large surface area by pyrolysis under controlled conditions, (ii)modify the g-C3N4 with functional species, which are homogeneous distributed by an ultrasonic spray method, (iii)investigate the effectsof spray aerosol with functional species on the formation of g-C3N4 under pyrolysis, (iv)evaluate the photocatalytic performance of functionalized g-C3N4 in the degradation of air pollutants such as nitrogen oxygen and formaldehyde under visible light and (v)interpret their degradation mechanism of such air pollutants.

Fund Source: Early Career Scheme, RGC (2013-2016)

Amount: 1,166,796

Fund Source: General Research Fund, RGC

Amount: 522,898

Co-Investigator(s): Dr. HUANG Yu*

Amount: 200,000

Through the support from the government funding and research collaboration with industrial partners, different strategies were used to overcome the weaknesses of “conventional” photocatalytic technology. The novel LED activated photocatalyst graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was developed which provides an innovative solution for long-term air purification and disinfection functions in the indoor environment without consuming any energy. Compared to traditional TiO2 photocatayst, which requires UV light activation, solely visible light or indoor lighting (i.e. visible light) condition can activate the new carbon nitride material to degrade air pollutants and bacteria. This energy-saving and environmentally friendly technology is a breakthrough that opens up a new possibility of applying visible light (e.g. LED lighting) in photocatalysis. It also has a wide range of potential applications in air purification and disinfection contexts in daily life.

HKUST consultancy service for the Innovation & Technology Fund (ITF) Project ref. ITP/031/13NP titled "High Performance Plasma-Driven Catalysis (PDC) for Commercial Air Purification Unit” ($250,000, 2014-2015). Traditional plasma technology has been utilized in the air purification system. However the plasma only system generates a lot of by-products which needs the additional after treatment systems. This brings up the cost and complexity of the product. In the project, a novel air purification technology based on plasma driven catalysis (PDC) is going to be developed because of its higher energy efficiencies, high mineralization rates and low by-product formation. This air cleaning technology is unique as it enables deep purifying of the whole range of toxic compositions into CO2 and H2O, starting from low temperatures. In this project, different plasma-catalyst hybrid configurations and catalyst insertion methods for the in-plasma catalysis configuration will be optimized. Since changing plasma characteristics can eventually result in enhancing the production of new active species, increasing the oxidizing power of the plasma discharge as well as affecting the catalyst properties such as a change in chemical composition, enhancement in surface area or change of catalytic structure, the synergy effect of coupling plasma with catalysts on air purification will also be studied.

Fund Source: HKUST consultancy service for the Innovation & Technology Fund (ITF) (2014-2015)

Amount: 250,000

(Funding Support to GRF/ECS proposal rated 3.5, HK$100,000, 2015-2016) In this project, we propose a 12-month preliminary study to develop a new class of highly efficient photocatalysts that can be activated from the visible light to near-infrared (NIR) region. Lanthanide-doped upconverting will function as sensitizers to absorb the NIR light, upconvert low-energy photons into high-energy photons and then transfer energy to visible-light-active components for g-C3N4 photocatalysis. As the amount of integrated solar photon flux from 700 to 1500 nm is approximately 47.4%, the efficiency of photocatalysts will be significantly improved if they are made sensitive to both NIR and visible light, resulting in a much more efficient utilization of solar energy compared with only UV-, visible- or UV-visible-light responsive photocatalytic systems. The degradation of air pollutants on the broad-spectrum photocatalysts will be investigated.

Fund Source: GRF/ECS

Amount: 100,000

(Dean’s Research Fund, HKIEd, HK$300,000 2014-2015), The purpose of this study is to synthesize the novel metal-free heterojunction visible-light-driven photocatalyst in order to enhance their photocatalytic ability for air purification and bacterial inactivation. Photocatalytic degradation of pollutants to nontoxic carbon dooxied and water under visible light irradiation (43% of the incoming solar energy) has been regarded as one of the best green strategies to solve the pollution problem. Recently, non-oxide-type photocatalysts, particularly graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4) are proven to be active under visible light irradiation. This finding opens up important new possibilities for solar-driven photocatalysts for environmental purification. Although significant efforts have been devoted to develop stable and efficient g-C3N4, their efficiencies are not high enough for practical applications. The low efficiencies may be attributed to their low surface areas or poor crystallinity. In addition, the catalytic, electronic and optical properties of the g-C3N4 are by principle adjustable, using the rich chemistry of carbon and nitrogen. Several studies have been conducted to bind or intercalate different compounds, metals or non-metals into the matrix, which provides a convenient means of fine-tuning the structure and reactivity of g-C3N4. We propose an 18 months study to develop a new class of metal-free heterojunction photocatalysts prepared by coupling the g-C3N4 (CN) with different metal-free photocatalyst visible-light-driven with suitable band-structure alignments. Possible mechanism will also be investigated for the photocatalytic oxidative inactivation and reductive inactivation. As a proof-of-concept, this work will be offer new inroads into exploration and utilization of nanocomposites of different metal-free heterojunction photocatalysts with g-C3N4 for environmental applications, i.e. air purification and bacteria inactivation.

Amount: 300,000

In this project, we suggest a new strategy to change the photocatalytic selectivity of different visible-light-driven photocatalysts by controlling their surface defects in NOx removal. Our preliminary results show that introducing abundant surface defect sites such as carbon vacancy (Cv) on the surface of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts can promote visible light absorption, enhance the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers and favour strong chemisorption of NO, leading to high photo reactivity. Meanwhile, the surface defects of g-C3N4 acted as electronic traps to localize the photogenerated electrons shift the adsorption structure of NO from C-N-O for the bulk counterpart to Cv-O-N. The localization of both the photogenerated electron and NO molecule to the same site leads to the direct electron transfer from vacancy defect to NO, eventually resulting in its high selectivity of converting NO to N2.

(Internal Research Fund (IRG), HKIEd, HK$100,000, 2015-2016) This project investigates the effect of outdoor air quality on the indoor air quality of the kindergarten and primary school classrooms in Hong Kong. The project characterises the indoor and outdoor pollutant levels and identifies the sources of indoor air pollutants fom outdoor environments. This investigation is a prerequisite to improving the indoor air quality (IAQ) of the learning environment and to implementing the school IAQ management. Several reports indicate that IAQ improvement can advance the health and academic performance of students and school staff. We will study one of the crucial factors that affect the school IAQ, i.e. the effects of outdoor air pollutants on the school IAQ. Although numerous studies on IAQ have been undertaken in Hong Kong, full quantitative determination of IAQ research in schools and the studies of outdoor air quality on the school IAQ have not been conducted, especially at the kindergarten and primary school levels. At these levels, children are inherently more vulnerable to environmental hazards because their bodies are still developing. This study can provide insights into policy-relevant questions that could assist policy makers in managing IAQ in the school environment in Hong Kong.

Marine plastic debris pollution has been identified by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as an emerging global environmental issue. In particular, the problem of microplastics (MP), or plastic debris smaller than 5mm, has attracted increasing attention in the recent years. Because of its small size, a range of marine organisms have been observed to ingest MP particles, including commercial species intended for human consumption. Ingestion of MP can lead to physical harm, although ingestion of MPs is rarely lethal. Despite evidence documented in field studies which identified the Pearl River estuary as a hotspot for MP pollution, studies with regard to ingestion by marine organisms intended for human consumption are scarce. The proposed study will investigate the occurrence and the spatio-temporal pattern of MP ingestion by commercial fish in the Pearl River Estuary. Culture and wild fish samples of the species greasy grouper (Serranidae) will be collected from local fish rafts and fishermen respectively. MP recovered from gastrointestinal tracts of sample fish will be counted, classified and identified using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Ingestion of MP by fish is a potential food safety issue, and a matter of public concern. Data collected in the project will represent a first step to understanding potential impacts of MP on human health.

Co-Investigator(s): XU, Xiang-rong *

Although the world nations united to limit global warming to 2°C in the Paris Agreement, the existing emission target have not been able to catch up. The UNEP in 2018 estimated that global emission of carbon dioxide has to be reduced by a further 25% in 2030 in order to meet the 2°C objective. to achieve this goal, global decarbonisation strategies involving climate investments, policy instruments, technological innovations and behavioural changes will all be necessary. In Hong Kong, space cooling is responsible for one-fifth of the local greenhouse gas emission. The “No Freezing summer” campaign is one of the many strategies that the Hong Kong Government adopted to curb carbon emission related to space cooling (decarbonising cooling). This campaign has educated local citizens to adjust air-conditional thermostat to 25.5°C in summer months. The campaign had a history of a decade but it had never been systematically evaluated. The proposed study will adopt the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework to evaluate the effectiveness of the No Freezing Summer campaign. Behavioural barriers that have led to non-adoption of this decarbonising cooling behaviour will also be investigated. Results of the proposed study can contribute to public education policy evaluation and development. Firstly, effectiveness, with regard to the level of adoption of decarbonising cooling behaviour will be evaluated, along with the barriers preventing its adoption. And these can be used to inform future public education campaign associated with global warming.

Fluvial sediments influence the hydrologic, geomorphologic and ecologic functions of rivers through two aspects, namely, quality and quantity. However, sediment quality depends on the characteristics of the drainage basin and on the natural and human processes that occur in rivers. Although information on the quantity of sediments has attracted attention in recent years, emphasis has now been shifted to the physical and chemical properties of fine sediments because fine sediments are a chemically active fraction of the fluvial system and are therefore significant in the management of water resources, water quality and river ecology in the catchment. Many studies have revealed that a considerable spatial and temporal variation exists in riverine sediment quality. Some of these variations may reflect natural and human influences on drainage basins and rivers. Further research on controlling these variations in sediment quality, particularly in the rivers of Hong Kong, is needed because information on this subject is very limited. Moreover, sediment chemistry is usually reported in ‘black box’ total concentrations, which are not a particularly meaningful indicator of sediment quality. Metal fractionation can reveal the ‘labile’ and the relatively mobile phases of the metals that indicate the bioavailability of pollutants. In addition, data obtained from metal fractionation may be used to assess the contribution of different human and natural sources. To date, a gap in knowledge can be recognised, as very few studies have evaluated the metal fractionation of sediments in Chinese rivers. Given this research gap, the principal investigator PI will sample, fractionate and analyse suspended and bed sediments from the Kam Tin Basin in the NW New Territories, which is one of the most polluted rivers of Hong Kong. The data obtained will allow an evaluation of sediment quality, bioavailability of pollutants and factors that control the spatial variability of sediment quality in the basin. The proposed research will also contribute to the general body of research on sediment quality in rivers, as the comparison of suspended sediments and channel bed sediments at the international scale is of great interest and significance, especially in the context of their viability as sampling media to assess and monitor sediment quality. The phase association of metals in fluvial sediments is also a research opportunity of general interest.

Hong Kong is known to produce significant amounts of plastic waste annually. Moreover, Guangdong Province nearby accounts for up to a quarter of the total production of plastics in China. There is a lack of information on the abundance, temporal and spatial distribution of the various major types of microplastics in the fluvial, littoral and marine environments of Hong Kong. Furthermore, only very limited data on DDTs adsorbed by microplastics in Hong Kong have been reported. This knowledge gap needs to be filled in order for Hong Kong to understand the extent and severity of this emerging environmental issue. This is important because the marine waters of Hong Kong represent precious resource in terms of recreation, ecology and biodiversity and mariculture. Through sample collection from different environments in Hong Kong with the employment of different sampling methods (marine, beach and fluvial surveys) and the application of laboratory analyses by visual identification and instrumental aids, the proposed project aims to produce a “master map” showing the temporal, spatial and abundance distribution of different types of marine microplastic debris in Hong Kong as well as to identify their sources. This “master map” would be an important source of intelligence from an environmental management perspective as monitoring with good quality data can provide a platform for comprehensive assessment of the nature and origin of microplastics, and through which, appropriate management intervention can be brought in, where necessary.

It studies how to use product assessment to foster creativity in STEM education. It is try-out in my classes, and some of our students are interviewed. Data analyses are underway.

This project aims at understanding and enhancing creativity in making in STEM learning.

This research will analyze the potential impacts of MSW systems in Hong Kong, which is facing an urgent situation on MSW management and its technical alternatives, by tracking the progress over time (2015-2020). All the related data on waste composition, material and energy consumption, generation, especially pollutant emission will be investigated. Scenario of the current system with landfills will be constructed and modeled using a novel LCA-based software. Results on the potential impacts of the alternative strategies to global warming, human toxicity via air, water, and soil will be obtained by characterization and normalization.

Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the environment, not only do they cover virtually all surfaces we contact, they also cover our skin and are abundant in the air we breathe. Hong Kong’s worsening indoor air quality (IAQ) has attracted increased attention in the global press. Various studies have been conducted to assess the impacts on human health due to excessive exposure to bacteria polluted indoor air and these data provided evidence that rates of respiratory illnesses and symptoms could be elevated with high bacteria pollution. Most people in Hong Kong spend 80% of time in indoor environment, which presents a major health risk to city residents. The main aim of this proposal is to analyze the IAQ including airborne bacteria at the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK). A seminar will be organized to introduce our findings and knowledge of IAQ. After that, we will convert our professional data to an educational kit which is easy to be used for general studies or science teachers to use in the primary and secondary schools. The teaching kit includes (1) one cartoon video introducing IAQ and bacteria; (2) some brochure about IAQ and the bacteria in the air we lived; (3) some compare experiments designed under the different condition (temperature, humidity, air flow, and so on) for science student teachers to cultivate the bacteria aimed to teach them what kind of environment is conductive to bacterial growth; (4) how to improve the air quality in where we lived; (5) related STEM and environmental education, such as the air flow calculation, design of an experiment to count the airborne bacterial, etc. The proposed initiative can support the strategic development of EdUHK. Our vision is to build our core capability in this important strategic research area through incorporating our existing strength expertise in analytical chemistry, toxicology, molecular biology, environmental engineering, and education,, with a view to establish EdUHK as the opinion leaders in environmental issues and education in the local community.

-

-

This project has been awarded Early Career Scheme/GRF 2013/2014. In this study, the environmental impacts and costs associated with four food waste management options in Hong Kong, landfilling, incineration, anaerobic digestion and food waste mechanical composter system will be assessed in the perspective of global warming which has become the most serious global environmental problem. Study results will provide scientific evidence to support the decision-making of the low-carbon food waste management system in the future in Hong Kong and China.

Material flow analysis (MFA) recognizes whether the flow of materials is sustainable in terms of the environmental burden it creates. Numerous pollutants, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals, are released into the environment (air, water, and soil) during the crude recycling of end-of-life (EOL) cell phones, which cause serious human health risks to local workers and surrounding residents. The current research analyzes the flow of cell phones after the end of their useful phase in households Hong Kong.

-

As one group of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), there’s growing evidence of the long-term health problems linked to too much exposure to antibiotics. Not only does the development and spread of ARGs (antibiotic resistant genes) make the drugs becoming less effective as bacteria becoming resistant to existing medicines, but also antibiotics are changing our bodies, particular those of young children, linking to Type-2 Diabetes and obesity. Driven by increasing use in animal industry, the production and usage of antibiotics has grown up rapidly. A part of antibiotics are left in meat, especially in chicken, pork, cultured fish and milk, which heavily consumed by Hong Kong population, even in drinking water. Results of our previous work and recent monitoring studies suggested widespread occurrence of antibiotics in river water of Hong Kong. Although antibiotics can pose potential threats to human health, most work has been focused on investigating the occurrence and fate of antibiotics in sewage and aquatic environment. The current human health associated with antibiotics may be substantially underestimated. Very limited researches were on the antibiotic residues in food and drinking water, as well as the long-term low-dose exposure to antibiotics with human health, especially with children who are more sensitive to antibiotics. In view of that human exposed to antibiotics mainly from food an drinking water besides medicine therapy, the present study is therefore proposed to develop methods for identifying and quantifying of veterinary antibiotics residues in food (chicken, pork, cultured fish and milk) and drinking water in Hong Kong, and to explore the association between the contaminants with children’s risk of obesity.

The extensive use and the improper disposal of organic/inorganic chemicals from various industries have led to significant pollution problems throughout the world. Over the past decades, several incidents involving significant contamination of water sources have resulted in severe financial, political, and health costs. In this context, a multifunctional device that can selectively monitor the level of organic pollutants and can magnify weak detection signal and subsequently degrade pollutants into harmless substances is highly desirable. In the present study, we will address the following areas based on our preliminary results: (i) the mechanism of a bimetallic complex that can simultaneously function as a chemosensor, signal amplifier, and photocatalyst; (ii) the design and synthesis of other cyano-bridged bimetallic donor-acceptor ensembles with similar multifunctional properties for other toxic pollutants, and (iii) the real world application of these new types of molecular devices in environmental monitoring and waste treatment.

Fund Source: UGC/GRF

Co-Investigator(s): WU, Kangbing *

In China and Hong Kong especially, there is major public concern with respect to food safety. Consumers need to ensure the quality and safety of the food products that they purchase. Spoilage of foods generates biogenic volatile compounds (BVCs) which are therefore key markers for food freshness. At present, there are no similar chemodosimetric materials available for detecting the freshness of foods. In this project, we will explore the feasibility of using bimetallic donor-acceptor ensembles (BmDAEs) as chemodosimeters to determine BVCs (e.g., biogenic amines, sulfides, phenols and carboxylic acids). Our objectives are to (i) design and synthesize new BmDAEs and to fabricate their nano-/microscale and solid-supported materials; (ii) study the chemodosimetric properties of all these materials towards various kinds of BVCs; (iii) analyse their applicability towards real food samples.

Co-Investigator(s): GONG, Cheng-bin * TANG, Qian *

Our objectives in this project are to (i) design, synthesize and characterize of a series of new Re(I) based BmDAEs; (ii) study their chemodosimetric properties towards various kinds of BVCs such as sulfides, amines, carboxylic acids and phenols; (iii) analyze their applicability towards real food samples. At present, there are no similar chemodosimetric materials available for detecting the freshness of foods. Also, to date, a systematic design of Re(I) based bimetallic complexes as molecular probes has not been realized. This concept of in-situ monitoring of food quality in foods is completely new. Our dosimetric materials will be useful to the food industry and can be applied to the expiry labels for food packages.

The great demand for synthetic plastics and the ineffective recycling of plastic waste threaten our environment at a time when fossil fuels are gradually running out. The fact that the use of plastics is so widespread and that their poor degradability has led to their accumulation in the environment. Nowadays, plastic waste constitutes a significant portion of municipal solid waste – as many as 275 million metric tons per year. The aim of this project is to develop new technologies for the conversion of synthetic polymers into useful chemical resources, such as fine chemicals and/or organic compounds that can be used as fuels, so as to primarily solve the energy problem as well as to relieve the environmental stress of solid waste caused by plastic.

Fund Source: UGC/GRF

Co-Investigator(s): GONG, Cheng-bin * TANG, Qian * WONG WING LEUNG 黃永樑 #

To study the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the solid-state oxidation of PE, PP, and PVC by the new Lewis acid based high-valent manganese complexes

Co-Investigator(s): GONG, Cheng-bin *

Practical and cost-effective treatment of pesticides has been a long-standing challenge in our modern society. Since after World War II, organo-pesticides have been widely used in the agricultural industries. Even today, organo-pesticides in use have high toxicity, very poor degradability and tend to accumulate in our environment. In addition to using regulatory and legislative tools to control the pollution, new technology to determine the level of contaminants and subsequently degrade them into harmless components is highly desirable.

The project is related to the development of new sensing devices to detect the biogenic odorants, such as sulfides, in food, particularly in meat, and aims to test and enhance food quality and food safety control. 公眾對食品安全的關注正在迅速增長。消費者希望購買的食品都能得到安全保證。要是每一個經預先包裝的食物產品都能附有一個微型可靠的、不需要電池的和低成本的“食物安全探測器”顯示包裝食物有否變壞的信息，這將會給予消費者很大的全安保障。常見肉類如雞肉、 豬肉、 牛肉和海鮮等，在腐爛的過程中，會釋放出『生物硫』，因此生物硫可作為食品質量的指標物。在這個項目中，我們將開發一系列的化學複合物，用作檢測生物硫的分子傳感器。我們把這些複合物傳感器材料化，溶合到三氧化二鋁及聚氯乙烯等材料內，從而製造出具可塑性的固態生物硫傳感粒子材料。這些粒子材料可以固定在特別設計的片狀小裝置內，例如籌碼形的透明小片，能隔空感測到生物硫的存在，並顯視不同程度的顏色或熒光變化，以反映肉類或食品有否變壞。目前，我們在研究和技術方面已經取得了非常關鍵的基礎。有了這些食物安全傳感器的前期結果，我們相信能很快地實踐可用及可商品化的産品，並對食品安全監察工作作出革命性的貢獻。

Fund Source: Innovation and Technology Commission/ITF