Prof. Irene LO’s Research Team and Water Supplies Department Won 2024/2025 HKIE Best Environmental Paper Award for Pilot-Scale Phosphate Removal System in River

(From left to right) Dr. Zheng Zexiao (Research Assistant Professor of HKUST), Ms. Zhang Yu (PhD candidate of HKUST), Ir Dr. Raymond Chan (Chairman of the HKIE Environmental Division), Ir Prof. Irene Lo (Chair Professor at HKUST), Mr. Roger Wong Yan-Lok (Director of the Water Supplies Department), Mr. Gary Yip Ka-Chun (Assistant Director of WSD), Mr. Kwok Yau-Ting and Ms. Leung Chui-Fan (both Engineers at WSD) [Download Photo]

Prof. Irene M. C. LO, Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at HKUST, and her research collaborators, Ms. LEUNG Chui-Fan, Mr. CHOY Tak-Yip and Mr. KWOK Yau-Ting of the Hong Kong Water Supplies Department (WSD), along with her research group comprising Dr. ZHENG Zexiao and Ms. ZHANG Yu , have won the 2024/2025 Best Environmental Paper Award, bestowed by the Environmental Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE). The award honors their successful implementation of a pilot-scale phosphate removal system in real river water conditions.

The awarded paper, “Pilot-Scale Application of Lanthanum-Embedded Polymeric Adsorption System for Efficient Phosphate Removal from River Water in Hong Kong”, published in Chemical Engineering Journal, presents the results of an eight-month pilot study at the Lam Tsuen River in Tai Po. The team developed and tested a lanthanum-based polymeric adsorbent (La@201) in a fixed-bed system that consistently achieved 91.23% removal of orthophosphate and 78.51% of total phosphorus under natural water variability. The study demonstrated not only the technical performance and environmental robustness of the system, but also the feasibility of scaling up novel materials for full-scale river water treatment.

Through recognizing exemplary research on environmental pollution control and sustainable development, HKIE’s Best Environmental Paper Award aims to promote engineering excellence and encourage transformative solutions to today’s environmental challenges. The 2024/2025 award was presented on May 6, 2025 at the HKIE headquarters, by HKIE Environmental Division Chairman Ir Dr. Raymond K. L. CHAN, who was joined by Mr. Roger WONG Yan-Lok, Director of WSD, and Mr. Gary YIP Ka-Chun, Assistant Director of WSD, both attending to cheer for the award-winning project. Members of the HKIE Environmental Division’s judging panel were also present at the ceremony.

Ir Prof. Lo is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) and an Academician of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA) and the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE). As a leading researcher in environmental engineering, she has long dedicated her career to advancing sustainable water and wastewater treatment technology. Her work integrates novel material development with system-scale applications, bridging the gap between academic research and real-world impact. The success of this pilot project reinforces the critical role of cross-sector collaboration between academia and the industry in addressing environmental challenges.