November 13, 2025 — Fieldsboro, NJ
Dr. Wen Zhang, professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and his Ph.D. student Guangyu Zhu actively participated in the 2025 NJ Community Water Monitoring Summit held at Rutgers Eco Complex. This annual event, hosted by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and The Watershed Institute, brought together scientists, educators, policy makers, and community leaders to discuss strategies for safeguarding water quality across New Jersey.
Dr. Zhang delivered a featured talk on “Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Lakes using Sustainable Mechanical Separation Approaches.” His presentation highlighted the innovative use of micro-nanobubble-enhanced air flotation boats and ecological aeration technologies to control algal growth in New Jersey’s impaired water bodies. The multi-year project demonstrates an integrative engineering-ecology solution for bloom suppression, offering scalable, chemical-free alternatives to safeguard both public health and aquatic ecosystems.
In addition to the oral presentation, Dr. Zhang and his PhD student, Guangyu Zhu, showcased two research posters:
- PFAS in Water, Soil, and Air: Mitigation Strategies Using Advanced Catalysis, Functional Membranes, and Nanobubble Technology
- Raman-Based Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Food and Agricultural Wastes
Ph.D. student Guangyu Zhu presented the microplastics poster, which detailed recent NJDEP-supported work focused on polymer detection usingRaman spectroscopy, integrated with AFM surface analysis, across diverse organic waste streams such as manure, silage, and food scraps.
Together, the NJIT team highlighted the critical role of cutting-edge environmental technologies in tackling pressing challenges such as PFAS pollution, microplastic contamination, and HABs. Their contributions demonstrated interdisciplinary integration of environmental engineering, analytical chemistry, and ecological restoration. For more information about our projects or collaboration inquiries, please contact wen.zhang@njit.edu.