Professor Gang Pan, FRSC

Research

I am an internationally recognised environmental scientist whose work integrates fundamental interfacial chemistry with ecological engineering to address eutrophication, harmful algal blooms (HABs), sediment pollution, and climate-relevant greenhouse-gas emissions from aquatic systems.

I am the originator of Modified Local Soil (MLS) technology, which established the widely adopted “Floc and Lock” paradigm for HAB mitigation and internal nutrient control. MLS enables rapid, ecologically safe removal of algal biomass while permanently immobilising phosphorus and toxins in sediments using locally sourced materials. Independent international reviews in Harmful Algae and Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology have described MLS as a canonical and benchmark approach for lake restoration. The technology has been implemented in more than ten lakes across Asia and evaluated at the policy level in the USA (ITRC guidance), New Zealand (Cawthron Institute national assessment), and China (NDRC testimony).

I pioneered oxygen nanobubble–integrated MLS systems, extending the paradigm to “Floc, Lock, and Oxygenate.” This innovation resolves sediment anoxia, suppresses methylmercury formation, immobilises arsenic, and significantly reduces methane emissions. My work also provided foundational experimental evidence for the stability and functionality of nanobubbles at particle–water interfaces, now widely cited across environmental science, physical chemistry, and engineering.

At a fundamental level, I developed Metastable-Equilibrium Adsorption (MEA) theory, which overturned the classical property of the equilibrium adsorption constant by demonstrating the role of multiple metastable states. MEA has improved predictive modelling of contaminant transport, adsorption irreversibility, and particle concentration effects in natural systems, with applications spanning geochemistry, soil remediation, and nuclear waste safety.

I further developed the Integrated Water–Energy–Food (iWEF) framework, demonstrating how eutrophic waters and algal biomass can be transformed into bioenergy, functional fertilisers, and engineered biochars, thereby closing phosphorus cycles and supporting circular-economy solutions aligned with SDGs 6, 13, and 14.

I have published over 400 peer-reviewed papers (h-index 69) and received major national awards, including First Prizes of the Chinese National Dayu Award and National Environmental Science & Technology Award. I have held senior academic leadership roles in China and the UK, and supervised more than 80 postgraduate researchers. Since 2016, I have been based in the UK, where I lead research in environmental resilience and the circular economy. I collaborate extensively across Europe—with partners in Denmark, Greece, Ireland, and the UK and contributes to networks such as the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform, Goldschmidt Conferences, and UKRI sustainability programmes.

Professional activities

I am actively involved with national and international research collaborators and knowledge exchange programs through the following activities.

• Plenary presentation, “Fine-bubble-based geoengineering methods for eutrophication control: harnessing harmful algal blooms for Integrated Water-Energy-Food (iWEF) Products”, Nanobubbles Science & Technology Conference, 3rd - 5th September 2025, Killashee Hotel, Naas, Ireland
• Chair and Plenary Presentation, “Progress in Lake Geo-Engineering Restoration”,  2024 Annual Conference of the Water Environment Branch, Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, 22-24 September 2024, Changchun, China
• Keynote presentation, “Harnessing Eutrophication for Integrated Water-Energy-Food (IWEF) Products” at 2nd International Conference on Environmental Sustainability Through Waste And Recycling, March 11-13, 2024, Boston, USA
• Keynote, “Oxygen nanobubbles for water/sediment pollution remediation and ecological restoration”, Goldschmidt 2023, Lyon, France, July 9 - 14, 2023
• Invited keynote, “Eutrophication control using natural geo-engineering materials: harvesting nutrients for integrated Water-Energy-Food (iWEF) products”, Goldschmidt 2022, Hawaii, US (2022)
• Invited keynote speaker, “Oxygen fine bubbles for water pollution control”, International Symposium on Plasma and Fine Bubbles (2022)
• Reviewer of the Science Fund of Serbia (2021)
• Chair and plenary speaker, MDPI webinar: Algal bloom control and lake restoration (2021)
• Plenary speaker, European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (USPP) Webinar: Challenges for waste-derived algae (2021)
• Guest Editor, Nanomaterials (2020)
• Honorary President, Jiangsu Jiuguan Institute of Environment and Resources (2020 to present)
• Reviewer for Irish Research Council (2020)
• Panel reviewer, Serbian National Science Foundation (2020)
• Invited plenary, 11th annual conference of Chinese Particle Society (2020)
• Associate Editor of Water (2019 to present)
• Vice President, Water Environment Committee, Chinese Society of Environment (2010 to 2019)
• Member of International Scientific Advisory Board, African Network of Scientists for Water and Environmental Research (2019)
• Invited plenary, INDO-UK workshop on Wastewater treatment: Approaches, management and capacity building (2019)
• Member of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Sustainable Advisory Group (2018 to present)
• Referee for senior scientist promotion at CSIRO Land and Water in Australia (2018)
• Invited plenary, Nanobubble 2018/International Nanobubble Society (2018)
• Invited keynote, ACS symposium: Nanobubbles: A Sustainable Solution for Water Treatment and Agricultural Applications. The 256th National Meeting and Exposition, Boston, MA, USA (2018)
• Member of Academic Committee of SSRF National Science Center (Shanghai Synchrotron Facility, 2014 to 2018)
• Member of Scientific Committee, Attenborough National Trust, UK (2017 to present)
• Member of Chinese National Technical Committee of Fine Bubble Standardization (SAC/TC584) (2016 to present)
• Invited speaker, 5th Sustainable Phosphorus Summit 2016
• Founding member of Judge Panel for Reed Elsevier Environmental Challenge Prize (2012 to 2014)
• Chairman of Global Phosphorus Recycling Initiative (GPRI), international SCOPE (2014)
• Chief Scientist, Sino-EU Cooperation program, Natural Water Pollution Control (0911), Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), China (2009 to 2012)
• China Lead, Sino-UK Science Bridge Project, Research Council UK (RCUK), 2009 to 2011)
• Board member of the Chinese Society of Environmental Nanotechnology (2011 to present)
• Panel member of the National Science Foundation of China (2008 to 2010)
• International Expert Panel of Lake Tai program, Chinese Development and Reform Commission (NDRC, 2007)
• Deputy Chief Scientist, Chinese National Key Project, Meiliang Bay Lake Tai Water Quality Improvement, Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), 45 Million RMB, (2002 to 2007)
• Board member of Synchrotron Committee, Chinese Society of Physics (2003 to present)
• Member of Water Committee, Chinese Society of Limnology and Oceanography (2001 to 2008)

Publications

Recent publications

2025

• Zhang, Chuangqiang, Liang, Zejia , Lei, Yu, Huang, Yanming, Pan, Gangand Li, Yubin , (2025) Silver Nanoclusters Functionalized Entropy-Driven Catalytic Amplification for the Sensitive and Efficient Detection of 3,3',4,4'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl in Environmental Samples. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 13 (4). p. 117361.
• Shi, Haiyi, Chen, Ying, Zhao, Hui, Mortimer, Robert and Pan, Gang(2025) Impact of Tropical Cyclone on Coastal Phytoplankton Blooms and Underlying Mechanisms. Journal of Hydrology, 59 (10238).
• Tan, Xiao , Pan, Gang , Che, Wenxue, Man, Ying, Wang, Liyi, Li, Jinting and Zhao, Hui (2025) Adaptation responses of Dunaliella sp. and its natural symbiotic bacteria to sulfamethoxazole.Environmental Technology & Innovation, 38. p. 104171.
• Xiao, Xiao, Kang, Yuhua, Wang, Tuo, Zhao, Hui, Chen, Beibei, Luo, Shuliang, Li, Delin and Pan, Gang  (2025) Sulfur vacancy-rich ultrathin NiCo2Sx nanosheet arrays as a high-performance electrocatalytic reduction catalyst for nitrate to dinitrogen.Journal of Water Process Engineering, 71. p. 107190.

2024

• Xiaojun Song, Jiannan Ding, Yunbo Zhang, Mingda Zhu, Yi Peng, Zhenyu Wang, Gang Pan, Hua, New insights into changes in phosphorus profile at sediment-water interface by microplastics: Role of benthic bioturbation, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2024, 469, 134047 (IF: 13.6) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134047
• Bangguo Wang, Lijing Wang, Wenxi Cen, Tao Lyu, Peter Jarvis, Yang Zhang, Yuanxun Zhang, Yinghui Han, Lei Wang, Gang Pan, Kaili Zhang, Wei Fan, Exploring a chemical input free advanced oxidation process based on nanobubble technology to treat organic micropollutants, Environmental Pollution, 2024, 340, 122877 (IF: 8.9) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122877
• RWWMUP Wanigasekara, Zhenqiu Zhang, Weiqiang Wang, Yao Luo, Gang Pan, Application of Fast MEEMD–ConvLSTM in Sea Surface Temperature Predictions, Remote Sensing, 2024, 16,2468 (IF: 4.2) https://doi.org/ 10.3390/rs16132468
• Zheng, Qiwen, Pan, Gang, Zhao, Hui and Tian, Kai, Regulation of winter river input on the nutrient structure of typical tropical bays around Leizhou Peninsula, South China. Ocean & Coastal Management, 2024, 256. p. 107272 (IF: 4.8) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107272

All publications

For a complete publication list, visit Google Scholar:

Google Scholar Gang Pan FRSC