Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
Honorary Professor

Zhiguo Yuan

Email: 

Background

Prof Yuan received his PhD degree in aeronautical engineering in 1992 from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China. He changed research direction to wastewater management in 1994, when he took up a postdoctoral research fellow position at Ghent University, Belgium. He joined the Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC), renamed as the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology in July 2021, at The University of Queensland in 1998. He served as the AWMC Deputy Director 2001-2014, and then the AWMC/ACWEB Director in 2015 to July 2022. His research focuses on development of innovative solutions for urban water management and environmental biotechnology through effective integration of fundamental science and applied engineering. He won over $50M in government, industry and university research funding including many ARC Discovery, Linkage and Fellowship grants, mostly as the lead Chief Investigator. Prof Yuan was one of the founding members of the $117m Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities. He has published intensively both in specialised journals such as Water Research and Environmental Science and Technology, and multidisciplinary journals including Nature and Science. He is the founder of three biotechnology businesses namely SeweX, Cloevis and Lodomat, and his research has delivered documented savings of hundreds of millions of dollars to the Australian water industry. His research achievements and leadership have been recognized through major national and international awards including the 2015 ATSE Clunies Ross Award and the International Water Association (IWA) 2014 Global Project Innovation Award (Applied Research Category). Prof Yuan was named as one of Engineers Australia’s Top 100 Most Influential Engineers for 2015. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), an IWA Distinguished Fellow, and was awarded the highly prestigious ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship in 2017. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in January 2019.

Availability

Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan is:
Not available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Environmental biotechnology Environmental engineering

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Engineering, Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics

Research interests

  • Integrated Urban Water Management

    A whole-of-system approach to managing multiple water resources in an urban water cycle and multiple elements in an urban water system.

  • Digital water

    Descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive data analytics for proactive urban water management

  • Sustainable carbon bioeconomy

    Gas fermentation to convert organic wastes to carbon commodities

  • Corrosion and odour management in sewers systems

    Effective control of H2S production in sewer systems and minimise its effect on sewer corrosion and odour generation

  • Sludge management in wastewater treatment systems

    Innovative technologies for enhancing bioenergy recovery from wastewater and reducing sludge production

  • Greenhouse gas emissions from water and wastewater systems

    Fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater systems including CH4 emission in sewers, N2O emission from wastewater treatment processes and CH4 and N2O emissions from estuaries, dams and bays

  • Biological nutrient removal and recovery

    Innovative technologies and fundamental science for biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal and recovery from wastewater

Research impacts

  • His research in sewer management has fundamentally changed practice of many Australian water utilities in corrosion and odour management in sewers. The documented savings to date for the water industry amounts to approximately $400 million, based on the testimonial letters provided by industry partners.
  • He has collaborated with almost all major water utilities in Australia through many ARC Industry Linkage projects as well as a large number of collaborative research projects.
  • He was a founding and Executive Committee member of the $117 million Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cites, with over 80 industry partners, and led the Future Technologies Program Leader.
  • Established SeweX, a consulting company under UniQuest Pty Ltd, in 2008. SeweX has undertaken over $3 million consulting work since 2009. Clients included both Australian water utilities and companies from overseas. SeweX has been recently licensed to Envirosuite, an ASX listed technology company.
  • Established Cloevis Pty Ltd, a spin-off company from my sewer research. The company has licenced its patented technology on biofilm removal from sewer pipes to USP Technologies (US).
  • His research on sludge treatment using free nitrous acid has led to the development of the patented Lodomat technology that substantially increases biogas production from wastewater sludge. The technology has recently attracted >$5M (+ >$4M in-kind) industry and government funding for pilot plant demonstrations.
  • His research has frequently attracted media attention, with many articles published in newspapers such as The Australian and The Courier Mail, the News Agency Websites (e.g. ABC, Xinhua Agency), and industry magazines, newsletters and websites. Five of his papers have Altmetric Attention Scores that are in the top 5% of the 6.4 million research outputs tracked.
  • He is an Editor of Water Research, a top journal in water science and technology.
  • He published over 500 papers in internationally leading journals (the full list and citation record: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1IPdGqkAAAAJ&hl=en)

Search Professor Zhiguo Yuan’s works on UQ eSpace

805 works between 1992 and 2025
All (805) Journal Article (623) Book Chapter (9) Conference Publication (169) Book (1) Other Outputs (3)

121 - 140 of 805 works

2021

Journal Article

Enhancing anaerobic digestion using Free Nitrous Acid: identifying the optimal pre-treatment condition in continuous operation

Calderon, Angelica Guerrero, Duan, Haoran, Chen, Xiaoguang, Wu, Ziping, Yu, Wenbo, Silva, Carlos E., Li, Yijing, Shrestha, Sohan, Wang, Zhiyao, Keller, Jurg, Chen, Zhongwei, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2021). Enhancing anaerobic digestion using Free Nitrous Acid: identifying the optimal pre-treatment condition in continuous operation. Water Research, 205 117694, 117694. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117694

Enhancing anaerobic digestion using Free Nitrous Acid: identifying the optimal pre-treatment condition in continuous operation

2021

Journal Article

Post-treatment options for anaerobically digested sludge: current status and future prospect

Wang, Zhiyao, Liu, Tao, Duan, Haoran, Song, Yarong, Lu, Xi, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo, Batstone, Damien and Zheng, Min (2021). Post-treatment options for anaerobically digested sludge: current status and future prospect. Water Research, 205 117665, 117665. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117665

Post-treatment options for anaerobically digested sludge: current status and future prospect

2021

Journal Article

A novel granular sludge-based and highly corrosion-resistant bio-concrete in sewers

Song, Yarong, Chetty, Kirthi, Garbe, Ulf, Wei, Jing, Bu, Hao, O'Moore, Liza, Li, Xuan, Yuan, Zhiguo, McCarthy, Timothy and Jiang, Guangming (2021). A novel granular sludge-based and highly corrosion-resistant bio-concrete in sewers. Science of the Total Environment, 791 148270, 148270. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148270

A novel granular sludge-based and highly corrosion-resistant bio-concrete in sewers

2021

Journal Article

Synergistic effect on concrete corrosion control in sewer environment achieved by applying surface washing on calcium nitrite admixed concrete

Li, Xuan, Kulandaivelu, Jagadeeshkumar, O'Moore, Liza, Wilkie, Simeon, Hanzic, Lucija, Bond, Philip L., Yuan, Zhiguo and Jiang, Guangming (2021). Synergistic effect on concrete corrosion control in sewer environment achieved by applying surface washing on calcium nitrite admixed concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 302 124184, 124184. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.124184

Synergistic effect on concrete corrosion control in sewer environment achieved by applying surface washing on calcium nitrite admixed concrete

2021

Journal Article

Evaluation of continuous and intermittent trickling strategies for the removal of hydrogen sulfide in a biotrickling filter

Bu, Hao, Carvalho, Gilda, Huang, Casey, Sharma, Keshab R., Yuan, Zhiguo, Song, Yarong, Bond, Philip, Keller, Jurg, Yu, Miao and Jiang, Guangming (2021). Evaluation of continuous and intermittent trickling strategies for the removal of hydrogen sulfide in a biotrickling filter. Chemosphere, 291 (Pt 1) 132723, 132723. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132723

Evaluation of continuous and intermittent trickling strategies for the removal of hydrogen sulfide in a biotrickling filter

2021

Journal Article

Anaerobic oxidation of methane mediated by microbial extracellular respiration

Zhang, Xueqin, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2021). Anaerobic oxidation of methane mediated by microbial extracellular respiration. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 13 (6), 1-15. doi: 10.1111/1758-2229.13008

Anaerobic oxidation of methane mediated by microbial extracellular respiration

2021

Journal Article

Centralized iron-dosing into returned sludge brings multifaceted benefits to wastewater management

Hu, Zhetai, Duan, Haoran, Wang, Zhiyao, Zhao, Jing, Ye, Liu, Yuan, Zhiguo, Zheng, Min and Hu, Shihu (2021). Centralized iron-dosing into returned sludge brings multifaceted benefits to wastewater management. Water Research, 203 117536, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117536

Centralized iron-dosing into returned sludge brings multifaceted benefits to wastewater management

2021

Journal Article

Efficient nitrogen removal from mainstream wastewater through coupling Partial Nitritation, Anammox and Methane-dependent nitrite/nitrate reduction (PNAM)

Liu, Tao, Lu, Yan, Zheng, Min, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Efficient nitrogen removal from mainstream wastewater through coupling Partial Nitritation, Anammox and Methane-dependent nitrite/nitrate reduction (PNAM). Water Research, 206 117723, 117723. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117723

Efficient nitrogen removal from mainstream wastewater through coupling Partial Nitritation, Anammox and Methane-dependent nitrite/nitrate reduction (PNAM)

2021

Journal Article

In-sewer stability of selected analgesics and their metabolites

Ahmed, Fahad, Li, Jiaying, O'Brien, Jake W., Tscharke, Benjamin J., Samanipour, Saer, Thai, Phong K., Yuan, Zhiguo, Mueller, Jochen F. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2021). In-sewer stability of selected analgesics and their metabolites. Water Research, 204 117647, 117647. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117647

In-sewer stability of selected analgesics and their metabolites

2021

Conference Publication

Real-time optimisation of sulfide control by dosing ferrous salt in sewer networks

Li, Jiuling, Sharma, Keshab and Yuan, Zhiguo (2021). Real-time optimisation of sulfide control by dosing ferrous salt in sewer networks. 7th IWA Water Resource Recovery Modelling Seminar (WRRmod2021), Arosa, Switzerland, 21-25 August 2021.

Real-time optimisation of sulfide control by dosing ferrous salt in sewer networks

2021

Journal Article

Correction to: Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals promote the transmission of multidrug resistance plasmids through intra- and intergenera conjugation

Wang, Yue, Lu, Ji, Zhang, Shuai, Li, Jie, Mao, Likai, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bond, Philip L. and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Correction to: Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals promote the transmission of multidrug resistance plasmids through intra- and intergenera conjugation. The ISME Journal, 16 (2), 611-611. doi: 10.1038/s41396-021-01075-w

Correction to: Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals promote the transmission of multidrug resistance plasmids through intra- and intergenera conjugation

2021

Journal Article

Correction: Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals enhance the transmission of exogenous antibiotic resistance genes through bacterial transformation

Wang, Yue, Lu, Ji, Engelstädter, Jan, Zhang, Shuai, Ding, Pengbo, Mao, Likai, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bond, Philip L. and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Correction: Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals enhance the transmission of exogenous antibiotic resistance genes through bacterial transformation. The ISME Journal, 16 (2), 612-612. doi: 10.1038/s41396-021-01074-x

Correction: Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals enhance the transmission of exogenous antibiotic resistance genes through bacterial transformation

2021

Journal Article

Strategies to improve viability of a circular carbon bioeconomy – A techno-economic review of microbial electrosynthesis and gas fermentation

Wood, Jamin C., Grové, Johannes, Marcellin, Esteban, Heffernan, James K., Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Virdis, Bernardino (2021). Strategies to improve viability of a circular carbon bioeconomy – A techno-economic review of microbial electrosynthesis and gas fermentation. Water Research, 201 117306, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117306

Strategies to improve viability of a circular carbon bioeconomy – A techno-economic review of microbial electrosynthesis and gas fermentation

2021

Journal Article

Comparative life cycle assessment of sewer corrosion control by iron salts: suitability analysis and strategy optimization

Wang, Xiuheng, Li, Lanqing, Bai, Shunwen, Yuan, Zhiguo, Miao, Jingyu, Wang, Mengyue and Ren, Nanqi (2021). Comparative life cycle assessment of sewer corrosion control by iron salts: suitability analysis and strategy optimization. Water Research, 201 117370, 117370. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117370

Comparative life cycle assessment of sewer corrosion control by iron salts: suitability analysis and strategy optimization

2021

Journal Article

Biotrickling filter for the removal of volatile sulfur compounds from sewers: a review

Bu, Hao, Carvalho, Gilda, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bond, Philip and Jiang, Guangming (2021). Biotrickling filter for the removal of volatile sulfur compounds from sewers: a review. Chemosphere, 277 130333, 130333. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130333

Biotrickling filter for the removal of volatile sulfur compounds from sewers: a review

2021

Journal Article

Achieving combined biological short-cut nitrogen and phosphorus removal in a one sludge system with side-stream sludge treatment

Lu, Xuanyu, Duan, Haoran, Oehmen, Adrian, Carvalho, Gilda, Yuan, Zhiguo and Ye, Liu (2021). Achieving combined biological short-cut nitrogen and phosphorus removal in a one sludge system with side-stream sludge treatment. Water Research, 203 117563, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117563

Achieving combined biological short-cut nitrogen and phosphorus removal in a one sludge system with side-stream sludge treatment

2021

Journal Article

Roles and opportunities for microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane in natural and engineered systems

Cai, Chen, Zhang, Xueqin, Wu, Mengxiong, Liu, Tao, Lai, Chun-Yu, Frank, Joshua, He, Bingqing, Marcellin, Esteban, Guo, Jianhua, Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2021). Roles and opportunities for microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane in natural and engineered systems. Energy and Environmental Science, 14 (9), 4803-4830. doi: 10.1039/d1ee00708d

Roles and opportunities for microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane in natural and engineered systems

2021

Journal Article

Bioleaching of toxic metals from anaerobically digested sludge without external chemical addition

Wang, Zhiyao, Ni, Gaofeng, Xia, Jun, Song, Yarong, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Zheng, Min (2021). Bioleaching of toxic metals from anaerobically digested sludge without external chemical addition. Water Research, 200 117211, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117211

Bioleaching of toxic metals from anaerobically digested sludge without external chemical addition

2021

Journal Article

Unravelling adaptation of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in mainstream PN/A process: mechanisms and counter-strategies

Wang, Zhiyao, Zheng, Min, Hu, Zhetai, Duan, Haoran, De Clippeleir, Haydée, Al-Omari, Ahmed, Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2021). Unravelling adaptation of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in mainstream PN/A process: mechanisms and counter-strategies. Water Research, 200 117239, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117239

Unravelling adaptation of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in mainstream PN/A process: mechanisms and counter-strategies

2021

Journal Article

Cross-feeding interactions in short chain gaseous alkane-driven perchlorate and selenate reduction

Lai, Chun-Yu, Wu, Mengxiong, Wang, Yulu, Zhang, Jiongbin, Li, Jiahui, Liu, Tao, Xia, Jun, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Cross-feeding interactions in short chain gaseous alkane-driven perchlorate and selenate reduction. Water Research, 200 117215, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117215

Cross-feeding interactions in short chain gaseous alkane-driven perchlorate and selenate reduction

Availability

Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Airflow and temperature modelling for sewers

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jiuling Li

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding of Ventilation-Based Drying for Sewer Corrosion Control

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jiuling Li, Dr Zhetai Hu

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Data quality assurance in digitalisation of urban water management

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Helen Huang, Dr Jiuling Li, Dr Ruihong Qiu

  • Doctor Philosophy

    In-depth understanding of bioprocess and microbial community in a novel methane-based membrane biofilm reactor

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Extracellular Electron Transfer-Facilitated Microbial Conversion of Methanol by Eubacterium limosum

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Xueqin Zhang, Dr Bernardino Virdis

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Understanding of Condensation-induced Concrete Corrsoion in the Sewer Crown Region

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Damien Batstone, Dr Jiuling Li

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Integrated use of magnesium and iron chemicals in urban wastewater systems

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Zhetai Hu

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan directly for media enquiries about:

  • Corrosion - sewers
  • Odour - sewers
  • Sewers
  • Wastewater management
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Water treatment

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