2018-07-10

HKBU scholar receives national award for outstanding contribution to reducing persistent organic pollutants
Professor Cai Zongwei, Director of the State Key Laboratory of
Environmental and Biological Analysis and Kwok Yat Wai Endowed Chair of
Environmental and Biological Analysis of HKBU, was conferred the Award
for Outstanding Contribution to Eliminate Persistent Organic Pollutants
(POPs) by the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, in recognition
of his exemplary accomplishments in the research relating to persistent
organic pollutants.
Professor Cai was presented with the award, which is given to only one
person each year, at the 2018 POPs Forum cum Chemical Environmental
Safety Symposium held in Chengdu, China in May 2018.
Professor Cai’s research endeavours focus on the method development and
applications of chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for trace
analysis of environmental, food and biological samples. In 2003,
Professor Cai facilitated the establishment of the Dioxin Analysis
Laboratory at HKBU, the sole academic facility in Hong Kong to conduct
research and tests on dioxins — a group of persistent environmental
pollutants which have drawn global attention for the negative effects it
has on human health.
Professor Cai was invited to serve as the consultant on the global
persistent organic pollutants monitoring and assessment committee under
the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). In 2008 and 2014, he
was invited by UNEP to be the Principal Author responsible for
coordinating and writing the 1st and 2nd Asia-Pacific regional reports
on persistent organic pollutants under the Stockholm Convention. These
reports offer insights for academia and provide perspectives on
assessments initiated under the Stockholm Convention, so that
participating nations/regions can work together to protect human health
and the environment from the harm of persistent organic pollutants.
Professor Cai also develops novel mass spectrometry-based methods for
the determination of persistent organic pollutants. The methods he
developed have been applied to many research and consultancy projects
commissioned by the Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR
Government and other organisations. Professor Cai is committed to
research on the connection between persistent organic pollutants and
human diseases, and has published several papers on cutting-edge
research.