BSc (CUHK); MSc, PhD, DSc (Durham, UK); MBA, DSc (Strathclyde, UK)

Professor Wong is currently Advisor (Environmental Science), and Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Geochemistry and Health (Springer Nature).

Having served as the Regional Coordinator of Central and North-East Asia of the project “Regionally Based Assessment of Persistent Toxic Substances” sponsored by United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF), Prof. Wong has recently taken part in a panel of three to review a UNEP/GEF initiative “Emerging Chemicals Management Issues in Developing Countries and Countries with Economies in Transition” with the aim of understanding the sources and preventing adverse impacts of chemicals on human health and the environment in rapidly developing countries.

Professor Wong has published over 800 SCI papers and 32 book chapters, edited 25 books/special issues of scientific journals, and has successfully filed 8 patents. In addition to a PhD Degree (Durham), he was awarded a DSc Degree each from University of Durham and University of Strathclyde, based on his publications, in 1992 and 2004, respectively. He was also awarded the Croucher Senior Fellow (Croucher Foundation, Hong Kong) in 1997; the Royal Society Visiting Fellow (Royal Society, UK) in 2000; Chang Jiang Chair Professor of Environmental Science (Ministry of Education, China) in 2014; the Milton Gordon Award for the Best Research in Phytoremediation (the International Phytotechnology Society) in 2016; Fellow of Society of Environmental Geochemistry and Health (UK) in 2018; and Silver Medal of the International Exhibition of Inventions (Geneva) in 2019. According to the list of The World’s Top 2% Scientists (Stanford University, 2021 and 2020), he is ranked No. 6 (career-long, out of 67,000), and the top Chinese scientist, under Environmental Sciences globally according to citation impact. He was elected as Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2022.

Current Research Interests

• Ecotoxicology: persistent toxic substances and emerging chemicals of concern
• Ecological restoration: contaminated sites
• Waste recycling: focusing on “food waste for fish culture”

Member

• Appeal Board, Solid Waste Disposal, HK Government Secretariat, 1994-Present
• Appeal Board, Environmental Impact Assessment, same as above, 1998-2007
• Biology and Medicine Panel, Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), 1995-2001
• Research Assessment, RGC, 1995-2001
• National Team on Persistent Toxic Substances (PTS), State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), PR China, 2000-2004
• Assessment Panel, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), 2002-Present
• Assessment Panel, 973 Projects, NSFC, 2003-Present
• Physical Panel, RGC, 2004-2009
• Project Selection Panel, NSFC/RGC, 2005-2010
• Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE), Hong Kong, 2009-2011
• Advisory Committee on Water Quality Objectives, EPD, 2009-Present
• Advisory Committee on Eco-Park, EPD, 2010-2012
• Physical Panel- Joint Research Schemes, RGC, 2012-2014
• Expert Committee, Scientific and Technical Evaluation on POPs (UNEP), 1998-Present
• Regional Centre for Temperate East Asia (TEACOM), International Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training (START), 2002-2010
• International Team, Preparation of the UNEP Report on Atmospheric Mercury Emissions, UNEP, 2008-2010
• Third Year Review Panel, Cooperative Research Center (CRC) – Contamination, Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CARE) at Adelaide, on behalf of Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Australia, 2009

Consultant

• “Policy Dialogue on Environmental Protection and Inception Workshop on POPs Pesticide Management in Agricultural Production in Central Asia”, Asian Development Bank, 2007-2008
• “Review of emerging chemicals in developing countries and countries with economy in transition”, UNEP/GEF, 2009-2011

Chairman

• WWF Hong Kong Working Group on Mai Po (RAMSAR site) Management Plan, 2002-2008
• Research Committee, HKBU, 2004-2007
• Subcommittee on Waste Management of ACE, 2009-2011

Sector/Subject/Specialist

• Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, 2008-2012

Regional Coordinator

• Central & North-East Asia, UNEP/GEF project on “Regionally Based Assessment on Persistent Toxic Substances”, 2001-2006
• East Asia Basin, Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ), International Geosphere-Biosphere Program: A Study of Global Change (IGBP), sponsored by UNEP/GEF, 2002-2006

Editor-in-Chief

• Environmental Geochemistry and Health (Springer)

Editorial Board Member

• Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae
• Environmental Science
• Resources, Conservation & Recycling
• International Journal of Phytoremediation
• Environmental Management
• Acta Ecologica Sinica
• Restoration Ecology
• Chemosphere
• Safety and Environmental Engineering
• Environment Asia
• Book Series Editor of “Urbanization,
• Industrialization and the Environment”

Consultancies

• Monitoring tree growth on SENT Landfill, Green Valley Landfill/EPD, 1996-Present
• Ecological monitoring of nearby habitats of SENT Landfill, Green Valley Landfill/EPD, 1998-Present
• Review of bioassay toxicity tests for dredged sediment/Development of bioassay protocols for assessing toxicity of dredged sediment, EPD, 1998-2000
• Ecological assessment of Mai Po RAMSAR Site, Hyder Consulting Company, 1998-2000
• Sewage sampling and testing for sediment analysis in four preliminary treatment works, Drainage Service Department, 1999-2000
• The release of heavy metals and TBT from sediment during dredging and its ecological risk, EPD, 2000-2001
• Independent investigation of fish-kills at fish culture zones, Civil Engineering Department, 2002-2003
• A consultancy study on Hong Kong Zoological/Botanical Gardens, Leisure and Cultural Services, 2003-2004
• Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in Hong Kong air, EPD, 2004-2005
• Pesticides and PAHs in Hong Kong air, EPD, 2005-2006
• Contents of mercury and other contaminants in shark fins collected from 5 cities in China, Wild Aid, 2007-2008
• Management of wetlands at Lok Ma Chau, Immigration Department, 2007-2012
• Use of Chinese herbal medicines to treat diseases commonly found in grey mullets, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, 2011-2013
• Removal efficiencies of toxic chemicals in sewage treatment works in Hong Kong, Drainage Services Department, 2011-2013
• Individual expert for Liaison Group with Mariculturists (Contaminated Sediment Disposal), Civil Engineering and Development Department, 2013-Present