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)

181 - 200 of 805 works

2020

Journal Article

Synergistic inhibitory effects of free nitrous acid and imidazoline derivative on metal corrosion in a simulated water injection system

Zhong, Huiyun, Shi, Zhiming, Jiang, Guangming and Yuan, Zhiguo (2020). Synergistic inhibitory effects of free nitrous acid and imidazoline derivative on metal corrosion in a simulated water injection system. Water Research, 184 116122, 116122. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116122

Synergistic inhibitory effects of free nitrous acid and imidazoline derivative on metal corrosion in a simulated water injection system

2020

Journal Article

Control sulfide and methane production in sewers based on free ammonia inactivation

Zuo, Zhiqiang, Song, Yarong, Ren, Daheng, Li, He, Gao, Ying, Yuan, Zhiguo, Huang, Xia, Zheng, Min and Liu, Yanchen (2020). Control sulfide and methane production in sewers based on free ammonia inactivation. Environment International, 143 105928, 105928. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105928

Control sulfide and methane production in sewers based on free ammonia inactivation

2020

Journal Article

Effects of aging of ferric-based drinking water sludge on its reactivity for sulfide and phosphate removal

Salehin, Sirajus, Kulandaivelu, Jagadeesh kumar, Rebosura, Mario, van der Kolk, Olaf, Keller, Jürg, Doederer, Katrin, Gernjak, Wolfgang, Donose, Bogdan C., Yuan, Zhiguo and Pikaar, Ilje (2020). Effects of aging of ferric-based drinking water sludge on its reactivity for sulfide and phosphate removal. Water Research, 184 116179, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116179

Effects of aging of ferric-based drinking water sludge on its reactivity for sulfide and phosphate removal

2020

Journal Article

Microbial selenate reduction in membrane biofilm reactors using ethane and propane as electron donors

Lai, Chun-Yu, Song, Yarong, Wu, Mengxiong, Lu, Xuanyu, Wang, Yulu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Microbial selenate reduction in membrane biofilm reactors using ethane and propane as electron donors. Water Research, 183 116008, 116008. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116008

Microbial selenate reduction in membrane biofilm reactors using ethane and propane as electron donors

2020

Journal Article

Temperature variations shape niche occupation of nitrotoga-like bacteria in activated sludge

Liu, Yanchen, Li, Siqi, Ni, Gaofeng, Duan, Haoran, Huang, Xia, Yuan, Zhiguo and Zheng, Min (2020). Temperature variations shape niche occupation of nitrotoga-like bacteria in activated sludge. ACS ES&T Water, 1 (1) acsestwater.0c00060, 167-174. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.0c00060

Temperature variations shape niche occupation of nitrotoga-like bacteria in activated sludge

2020

Journal Article

Revealing the variations in physicochemical, morphological, fractal, and rheological properties of digestate during the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of iron-rich waste activated sludge

Shrestha, Sohan, Kulandaivelu, Jagadeeshkumar, Rebosura, Mario Jr Robles, Yuan, Zhiguo and Sharma, Keshab (2020). Revealing the variations in physicochemical, morphological, fractal, and rheological properties of digestate during the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of iron-rich waste activated sludge. Chemosphere, 254 126811, 126811. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126811

Revealing the variations in physicochemical, morphological, fractal, and rheological properties of digestate during the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of iron-rich waste activated sludge

2020

Journal Article

Rebar corrosion and its interaction with concrete degradation in reinforced concrete sewers

Song, Yarong, Wightman, Elaine, Kulandaivelu, Jagadeeshkumar, Bu, Hao, Wang, Zhiyao, Yuan, Zhiguo and Jiang, Guangming (2020). Rebar corrosion and its interaction with concrete degradation in reinforced concrete sewers. Water Research, 182 115961, 115961. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115961

Rebar corrosion and its interaction with concrete degradation in reinforced concrete sewers

2020

Conference Publication

Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from a full-scale wastewater treatment plant

Duan, Haoran, Van den Akker, Ben, Thwaite, Ben, Peng, Lai, Pan, Yuting, Ni, Bing-jie, Watt, Shane, Yuan, Zhiguo and Ye, Liu (2020). Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from a full-scale wastewater treatment plant. IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery Conference, Helsinki, Finland, 1-3 September 2020.

Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from a full-scale wastewater treatment plant

2020

Journal Article

Assessing the removal of organic micropollutants from wastewater by discharging drinking water sludge to sewers

Kulandaivelu, Jagadeeshkumar, Choi, Phil M., Shrestha, Sohan, Li, Xuan, Song, Yarong, Li, Jiaying, Sharma, Keshab, Yuan, Zhiguo, Mueller, Jochen F., Wang, Chengduan and Jiang, Guangming (2020). Assessing the removal of organic micropollutants from wastewater by discharging drinking water sludge to sewers. Water Research, 181 115945, 115945. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115945

Assessing the removal of organic micropollutants from wastewater by discharging drinking water sludge to sewers

2020

Journal Article

Structural changes in cell-wall and cell-membrane organic materials following exposure to free nitrous acid

Chislett, Mariella, Guo, Jianhua, Bond, Philip L., Jones, Alun and Yuan, Zhiguo (2020). Structural changes in cell-wall and cell-membrane organic materials following exposure to free nitrous acid. Environmental Science and Technology, 54 (16) acs.est.0c01453, 10301-10312. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01453

Structural changes in cell-wall and cell-membrane organic materials following exposure to free nitrous acid

2020

Journal Article

Free ammonia shock treatment eliminates nitrite-oxidizing bacterial activity for mainstream biofilm nitritation process

Wang, Zhiyao, Zheng, Min, Xue, Yu, Xia, Jun, Zhong, Huiyun, Ni, Gaofeng, Liu, Yanchen, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2020). Free ammonia shock treatment eliminates nitrite-oxidizing bacterial activity for mainstream biofilm nitritation process. Chemical Engineering Journal, 393 124682, 124682. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.124682

Free ammonia shock treatment eliminates nitrite-oxidizing bacterial activity for mainstream biofilm nitritation process

2020

Journal Article

Adaptation of nitrifying community in activated sludge to free ammonia inhibition and inactivation

Li, Siqi, Duan, Haoran, Zhang, Yizhen, Huang, Xia, Yuan, Zhiguo, Liu, Yanchen and Zheng, Min (2020). Adaptation of nitrifying community in activated sludge to free ammonia inhibition and inactivation. Science of The Total Environment, 728 138713, 138713. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138713

Adaptation of nitrifying community in activated sludge to free ammonia inhibition and inactivation

2020

Journal Article

Efficient inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes by photo-Fenton process under visible LED light and neutral pH

Ahmed, Yunus, Lu, Ji, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bond, Philip L. and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Efficient inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes by photo-Fenton process under visible LED light and neutral pH. Water Research, 179 115878. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115878

Efficient inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes by photo-Fenton process under visible LED light and neutral pH

2020

Journal Article

Full-scale investigation of ferrous dosing in sewers and a wastewater treatment plant for multiple benefits

Kulandaivelu, Jagadeeshkumar, Shrestha, Sohan, Khan, Wakib, Dwyer, Jason, Steward, Alan, Bell, Leo, Mcphee, Paul, Smith, Peter, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Jiang, Guangming (2020). Full-scale investigation of ferrous dosing in sewers and a wastewater treatment plant for multiple benefits. Chemosphere, 250 126221, 126221. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126221

Full-scale investigation of ferrous dosing in sewers and a wastewater treatment plant for multiple benefits

2020

Journal Article

Advanced wastewater treatment and mathematical modeling

Mannina, Giorgio, Vanrolleghem, Peter A. and Yuan, Zhiguo (2020). Advanced wastewater treatment and mathematical modeling. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 146 (7). doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001730

Advanced wastewater treatment and mathematical modeling

2020

Journal Article

Development of granular sludge coupling n-DAMO and Anammox in membrane granular sludge reactor for high rate nitrogen removal

Fan, Sheng-Qiang, Xie, Guo-Jun, Lu, Yang, Liu, Bing-Feng, Xing, De-Feng, Han, Hong-Jun, Yuan, Zhiguo and Ren, Nan-Qi (2020). Development of granular sludge coupling n-DAMO and Anammox in membrane granular sludge reactor for high rate nitrogen removal. Environmental Research, 186 109579, 109579. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109579

Development of granular sludge coupling n-DAMO and Anammox in membrane granular sludge reactor for high rate nitrogen removal

2020

Journal Article

Simultaneous removal of dissolved methane and nitrogen from synthetic mainstream anaerobic effluent

Liu, Tao, Li, Jie, Lim, Zhuan Khai, Chen, Hui, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Simultaneous removal of dissolved methane and nitrogen from synthetic mainstream anaerobic effluent. Environmental Science and Technology, 54 (12) acs.est.0c00912, 7629-7638. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c00912

Simultaneous removal of dissolved methane and nitrogen from synthetic mainstream anaerobic effluent

2020

Journal Article

Dewaterability enhancement and sulfide mitigation of CEPT sludge by electrochemical pretreatment

Zeng, Qian, Hao, Tianwei, Yuan, Zhiguo and Chen, Guanghao (2020). Dewaterability enhancement and sulfide mitigation of CEPT sludge by electrochemical pretreatment. Water Research, 176 115727, 115727. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115727

Dewaterability enhancement and sulfide mitigation of CEPT sludge by electrochemical pretreatment

2020

Journal Article

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 (2020). Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals enhance the transmission of exogenous antibiotic resistance genes through bacterial transformation. The ISME Journal: multidisciplinary journal of microbial ecology, 14 (8), 2179-2196. doi: 10.1038/s41396-020-0679-2

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

2020

Journal Article

Recovery of in-sewer dosed iron from digested sludge at downstream treatment plants and its reuse potential

Salehin, Sirajus, Rebosura, Mario, Keller, Jürg, Gernjak, Wolfgang, Donose, Bogdan C., Yuan, Zhiguo and Pikaar, Ilje (2020). Recovery of in-sewer dosed iron from digested sludge at downstream treatment plants and its reuse potential. Water Research, 174 115627, 115627. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115627

Recovery of in-sewer dosed iron from digested sludge at downstream treatment plants and its reuse potential

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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