Hefa Cheng

• Ph.D. Stanford Univ.; M.S. Univ. of Oklahoma; B.S. E. China Normal Univ.
• Professor at Peking University

Already the largest generator of hydroelectricity, China is accelerating dam construction to increase the share of hydroelectricity in its primary energy mix to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we review the evidence on emissions of GHGs, particularly methane, from the Three Gorges Reservoir, and argue that although the hydroelectric reservoi...

China has invested heavily on alternative energy, but the effectiveness of such energy sources at substituting the dominant coal-fired generation remains unknown. Here we analyse the displacement of fossil-fuel-generated electricity by alternative energy, primarily hydropower, and by trans-provincial imported electricity in China between 1995 and 20...

As heavy metals occur naturally in soils at measurable concentrations and their natural background contents have significant spatial variations, identification and apportionment of heavy metal pollution sources across large-scale regions is a challenging task. Stochastic models, including the recently developed conditional inference tree (CIT) and...

Arsenic-based feed additives, such as roxarsone (ROX), are still legally and widely used in food animal production in many countries. This study was conducted to systematically characterize the content and speciation of arsenic in chicken tissues from live poultry markets and in commercial chicken feeds in Guangdong, a major poultry production and...

p-Arsanilic acid (p-ASA), is a widely used animal feed additive in many developing countries, and is often introduced to agricultural soils with animal wastes. A common soil metal oxide, birnessite (delta-MnO2), was found to mediate its degradation with fast rates under acidic conditions. Experimental results indicate that adsorption and degradatio...

Mining activities cause severe nitrogen pollution in watersheds, yet our understanding of the transport pathways, transformation processes, and control mechanisms of nitrate (NO3–) in these areas is limited. Based on nearly 4-year observations of groundwater and river in China’s largest ion-adsorption rare earth mining watershed, we revealed the dy...

Black carbon (BC) is a crucial air pollutant that contributes to short-lived climate forcing and adverse health impacts. BC emissions have rapidly declined over the past three decades, and it is important to uncover the major factors behind this decline. Herein, the temporal trends of BC emissions were compiled from 146 detailed sources from 1960 t...

Source apportionment and risk assessment are critical for making effective pollution prevention and control policies. The study was carried out to assess source-specific ecological and human health risks associated with heavy metals in farmland soils in Yingtan City based on apportionment results of receptor models. Multivariate analysis and the AP...

Contaminated mining soils could lead to heavy metal pollution of surrounding farmlands under rainfall conditions. With the aids of sequential extraction, batch leaching, and dynamic leaching experiments, this study was carried out to investigate the characteristics of heavy metals in contaminated mining soils, understand their leaching behavior und...

Climate change and human activities lead to freshwater shortage, soil salinization, and food security crises in arable land. To explore the natural and irrigation factors on soil water and salt movement, this study quantitatively analyzed the dynamic characteristics of soil water and salt movement under precipitation, groundwater irrigation, and br...

The leaching of heavy metals from abandoned mine tailings can pose a severe threat to surrounding areas, especially in the regions influenced by acid rain with high frequency. In this study, the potential risks of heavy metals in the tailings collected from a small-scale abandoned multi-metal mine was assessed, and their leaching behavior and mecha...

The saline soils in the Yellow River Delta are primarily affected by seawater intrusion resulting from the intersection of land and sea, which exhibit variations in salinity. The quality of these soils is also influenced by anthropogenic reclamation, including fertilization and irrigation. This study quantitatively evaluated the distinct soil prope...

Although alternatives to mercury (Hg) are available in most products and industrial activities, Hg continues to be an ingredient in some products, including fluorescent lamps and electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). In this work, low-cost passive air samplers (PASs) were used to investigate the atmospheric Hg pollution in Zhongshan, a large i...

Soil microbes, which play crucial roles in maintaining soil functions and restoring degraded lands, are impacted by heavy metal pollution. This study investigated the vertical distribution of bacterial communities along the soil profiles across four types of areas (heavy metal pollution level: tailings heap area > phytoremediation area > natural re...

Mn-modified biochars (BCs) were developed by pre-treatment of feedstock (MBCs) or post-modification of biochar (BCM), for simultaneous adsorption and degradation of a model pollutant, cephalexin. The apparent removal rates of cephalexin in the presence of MBCs (2.49 - 6.39 × 10-2 h-1) and BCM (13.3 × 10-3 h-1) were significantly higher than that in...

Chromium (Cr) is released into the environment through anthropogenic activities and has gained significant attention in the recent decade as environmental pollution. Its contamination has adverse effects on human health and the environment e.g. decreases soil fertility, alters microbial activity, and reduces plant growth. It can occur in different...

Sonocatalysis has emerged as a promising technology for addressing environmental pollution issues. However, the efficacy of sonocatalytic processes is primarily hindered by challenges related to the sluggish flow rate of photogenerated electrons. The manuscript presents a novel approach to address this issue by developing an improved Z-scheme NiFe2...

Potentially toxic elements from geothermal springs can cause significant pollution of the surrounding environment and pose potential risk to the ecosystem. The fate of potentially toxic elements in the water–soil–plant system in the Yangbajain geothermal field on the Tibetan Plateau, China was investigated to assess their impact on the eco-environm...

The quality of farmland soils on the Tibetan Plateau is important because of the region's ecological vulnerability and their close link with local food security. Investigation on the pollution status of heavy metal (loid)s (HMs) in the farmlands of Lhasa and Nyingchi on the Tibetan Plateau, China revealed that Cu, As, Cd, Tl, and Pb were apparently...

Residential emissions significantly contribute to air pollution. To address this issue, a clean heating campaign was implemented to replace coal with electricity or natural gas among 13.9 million rural households in northern China. Despite great success, the cost-benefits and environmental equity of this campaign have never been fully investigated....

Geothermal springs are known to contain a variety of potentially hazardous elements (PHEs), which may threaten human health. Their release on Earth’s surface is largely dependent on the retention by the sediments at the spring outflux. In this study, the hot spring waters and the sediments at the corresponding sites were collected from the Nagqu ge...

Household air pollution associated with solid fuel use is a long-standing public concern. The global population mainly using solid fuels for cooking remains large. Besides cooking, large amounts of coal and biomass fuels are burned for space heating during cold seasons in many regions. In this study, a wintertime multiple-region field campaign was...

Organic dyes play vital roles in the textile industry, while the discharge of organic dye wastewater in the production and utilization of dyes has caused significant damage to the aquatic ecosystem. This review aims to summarize the mechanisms of photocatalysis, sonocatalysis, and sonophotocatalysis in the treatment of organic dye wastewater and th...

Access to safe drinking water is a major public concern in China. A national survey of 57 029 households was conducted to fill major knowledge gaps on drinking water sources, end-of-use treatment methods, and energy used to boil water. Herein, we show that surface water and well water were frequently used by >147 million rural residents living in l...

Investigating the response of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) to phenological variation for crop ecosystems is important for deeply understanding the impact of climate change on agriculture. However, its main controlling mechanisms have not been well understood for rotation cropland ecosystems. Using a 16 year (2003-2018) eddy covariance flux obse...

Coal is a widely used solid fuel for cooking and heating activities in rural households, whose incomplete combustion in inefficient household stoves releases a range of gaseous pollutants. To evaluate the impact of coal combustion on indoor air quality, this study comprehensively investigated the indoor air pollution of typical gaseous pollutants,...

In this work, a unique recyclable interfacial Z-scheme NiFe2O4/{0 1 0}BiVO4 composite was successfully designed by selectively loading NiFe2O4 onto the {0 1 0} facet of BiVO4 for the removal of norfloxacin (NOR) in aqueous solution. Under ultrasonic irradiation, the interfacial Z-scheme NiFe2O4/{0 1 0}BiVO4 composite exhibited a remarkable NOR remo...

The physicochemical properties of biochars undergo slow changes in soils due to the natural aging processes, which influences their interaction with heavy metals. The effects of aging on immobilization of co-existing heavy metals in contaminated soils amended with fecal and plant biochars possessing contrasting properties remain unclear. This study...

Anthropogenic activities pose a more significant threat to the environment than natural phenomena by contaminating the environment with heavy metals. Cadmium (Cd), a highly poisonous heavy metal, has a protracted biological half-life and threatens food safety. Plant roots absorb Cd due to their high bioavailability through apoplastic and symplastic...

Indoor PM2.5, particulate matter no more than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic equivalent diameter, has very high spatiotemporal variabilities; and exploring the key factors influencing the variabilities is critical for purifying air and protecting human health. Here, we conducted a longer-term field monitoring campaign using low-cost sensors and evaluated in...

Heavy metal (HM)-mediated toxic effects on plants have attained considerable attention worldwide as they directly threaten the food supply chain. Although various measures have been taken to mitigate the adverse effects of heavy metal stress in plants, significant research gaps must be proactively addressed. Fascinatingly, the exogenous application...

To mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of intensified agriculture, conservation practices are gradually being implemented in Chinese wheat–maize cropping systems. However, the effects of different tillage practices on agricultural field GHG emissions and subsequent global warming potential (GWP) are poorly documented. In this study, a three-yea...

In recent decades, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics have caused serious harm to aquatic ecosystems. This work successfully designed a unique recyclable WO3/NiFe2O4/BiOBr (WNB) composite with dual Z-scheme heterojunction to degrade levofloxacin (LEV) in aqueous solution. The results indicated that the as-prepared WNB composite displayed the gre...

The mismanaged and abandoned mine tailings are an important source of heavy metal pollution in the mining regions, and there is a significant need to develop technically, environmentally, and economically feasible and sustainable solutions to manage them. This study explored the solidification and stabilization of the tailing from an abandoned Pb-Z...

Saline soils are of great concern globally. Selecting the Yellow River Delta as a model site, the influence of reclamation on soil salinity and saline soil quality was investigated. Soil quality index (SQI) was applied to statistically analyze 210 soil profile samples collected at seven depth layers in 30 sampling sites among native saline soils an...

Due to the lack of a priori knowledge on true source makeup and contributions, whether the source apportionment results of Unmix and positive matrix factorization (PMF) are accurate cannot be easily assessed, despite the availability of built-in indicators for their goodness of fit and robustness. This study systematically evaluated, for the first...

While the electron-shuttling properties of (hydro)quinones can facilitate the redox cycling of iron species (Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺), the impact of in situ formed (hydro)quinones from degradation of non-phenolic aromatic pollutants in Fenton-type processes has not been reported. This study investigated the catalytic effect of (hydro)quinone intermediates pr...

The interfacial catalytic reaction plays a crucial role in determining hydrogen production efficiency of a photocatalyst. In this work, hollow spherical nano-shell composite (g-C3N4/CdS/ReS2) formed by graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), cadmium sulfide (CdS), and rhenium disulfide (ReS2) was prepared for photocatalytic hydrogen production, with ReS...

The diversity and distribution patterns of the abundant and rare microbial sub-communities in hot spring ecosystems and their assembly mechanisms are poorly understood. The present study investigated the diversity and distribution patterns of the total, abundant, conditionally rare, and always rare taxa in the low- and moderate-temperature hot spri...

Catalytic oxidation at room temperature is considered as a promising strategy for removal of formaldehyde (HCHO), a widely occurring indoor air pollutant. A series of Bi2MoO6 nanosheets were prepared via one-step hydrothermal synthesis in this study, followed by decoration with Pt nanoparticles (NPs). The catalyst with Bi2MoO6 support prepared at 1...

Carbendazim (CBZ), a widely used fungicide in agriculture, is frequently detected in aquatic environment and causes significant concerns because of its endocrine-disrupting activity. This study investigated the degradation kinetics of CBZ in ferrate (Fe(VI)) oxidation, the influence of water matrices, and the transformation pathways of CBZ. The sec...

Exploitation of the vast reserve of geothermal energy for power generation and direct use has been elevated to the top of China’s energy agenda, while the environmental impacts and human health risk have received little attention. This review systematically summarizes the environmental and human health impacts of geothermal utilization in China, an...

Environmental pollution induced by heavy metals has been identified as a leading threat in the modern era. Woody tree species may play a crucial role in the removal of heavy metals from soil and air, thus minimizing pollution potential. The present study was designed to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of six tree species; Azadirachta indica...

Chinese cooking features several unique processes, e.g., stir-frying and pan-frying, which represent important sources of household air pollution. However, factors affecting household air pollution and the vertical variations of indoor pollutants during Chinese cooking are less clear. Here, using low-cost sensors with high time resolutions, we meas...

The society has high concerns on the inequality that people are disproportionately exposed to ambient air pollution, but with more time spent indoors, the disparity in the total exposure considering both indoor and outdoor exposure has not been explored; and with the socioeconomical development and efforts in fighting against air pollution, it is u...

Nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) not only are strongly absorbing chromophores but also adversely affect human health. NACs can be emitted from incomplete combustions and can derive secondarily through photochemical reactions. Here, emission experiments were conducted for 31 fuel-stove combinations to elucidate variations in, and influencing factors o...

Environmental pollution of heavy metals (HMs), mainly due to anthropogenic activities, has received growing attention in recent decades. HMs, especially the non-essential carcinogenic ones, including chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), aluminum (Al), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As), have appeared as the most significant air, water, and soil poll...

Commercial organic fertilizers often contain high levels of antimicrobials that can be released into agricultural soils and pose potential ecological risks, and there is a significant need to quantify their occurrence in these products. However, the presence of high contents of organic matter, nutrient salts, and trace metals in commercial organic...

Heavy metal pollution caused by mining activities can be harmful to soil microbiota, which are highly sensitive to heavy metal stress. This study aimed to investigate the response of soil bacterial communities to varying levels of heavy metal pollution in four types of habitats (i.e., tailing, remediation, natural recovery, and undisturbed areas) a...

Rice paddies in industrialized areas are particularly impacted by heavy metal contaminations. Based on 205 pairs of soil and rice samples collected from Yingtan, a typical industrialized region in southern China, the work was carried out to investigate the characteristics of heavy metals in soils and rice, evaluate their corresponding health risks...

Large stocks of carbon and nitrogen stored in permafrost regions can potentially feed back to global biogeochemical cycles under climate warming. To understand the response of microbial communities to environmental changes, this study investigated the spatial distribution of bacterial communities in the upper layers (0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm) of s...

Trace elements (TEs) from various natural and anthropogenic activities contaminate the agricultural water and soil environments. The use of nanoparticles (NPs) as nano-fertilizers or nano-pesticides is gaining popularity worldwide. The NPs-mediated fertilizers encourage the balanced availability of essential nutrients to plants compared to traditio...

Chlorobenzenes are a group of toxic compounds that have been widely used as intermediates in chemical synthesis, process solvents, pesticides, and hygiene products. In this study, we reported rapid transformation of chlorobenzenes by soluble Mn(III) generated in permanganate/bisulfite (PM/BS) process, which can be taken advantage of in practical tr...

Hypothesis Organic arsenic pollutant p-arsanilic acid (p-ASA) in wastewater can be converted into highly toxic inorganic arsenic in the natural environment, causing serious arsenic pollution and serious harm to the environment. In this study, an Fe-based metal-organic framework (MOF) material, MIL-88A, was synthesized as an adsorbent to remove p-AS...

Although straw mulching and nitrogen applications are extensively practiced in the agriculture sector, large uncertainties remain about their impacts on crop yields and especially the environment. The responses of summer maize yields, fertilizer use efficiency, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and ni...

Optimizing yields while reducing soil CO2 emissions in cropping systems has become the focus of agricultural study. To explore effective ways to achieve the balance, short-term field experiments (2018–2020) were conducted in North China Plain. Three replications of three-factor combinations of two tillage systems (i.e., no-tillage and conventional...

Parabens are ubiquitous pollutants in the environment and humans due to their wide applications in food, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Although the estrogenic activity of some parabens has been confirmed, the underlying mechanisms and the structure-estrogenic activity relationship are still largely unclear. Here, we systematically us...

Agricultural tillage practices have a significant impact on the generation and consumption of greenhouse gases (GHGs), the primary causes of global warming. Two tillage systems, conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT), were compared to evaluate their effects on GHG emissions in this study. Averaged from 2018 to 2020, significant decreases of...

Light-absorbing organic carbon (OC), known as Brown Carbon (BrC), has been recognized as an important fraction of carbonaceous aerosols substantially affecting radiative forcing. This study firstly developed a bottom-up estimate of global primary BrC, and discussed its spatiotemporal distribution and source contributions from 1960 to 2010. The glob...

Solid fuel use (SFU) that is very common in many developing countries releases many hazardous air pollutants posing high risks on human health. The Global Burden of Disease study highlighted risks associated with household SFU in Pakistan, however, high uncertainties prevail because of scanty data on SFU and unaccounted energy stacking. This study...

Microplastics are omnipresent in the terrestrial and aquatic environment, and are considered as a potentially serious threat to the biodiversity and ecosystem. Pollution of plastic debris and microplastics in the inland and marine environment has raised concerns in Bangladesh, which is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. This...

Indoor air pollution has aroused increasing concerns due to its significant adverse health impacts. Indoor PM2.5 exposure assessments often rely on PM2.5 concentration measured at a single height, which overlooks the vertical variation of PM2.5 concentrations accompanied by various indoor activities. In this study, we characterize the vertical prof...

Enhancing the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes is crucial for improving the photocatalytic performance of carbon nitride (CN). In this work, a ECN-VN/C photocatalyst with unique three-dimensional nanostructure was constructed by exfoliation of multilayered CN, followed by introduction of nitrogen vacancies and intercalation of carbo...

Comparison of microbial community diversity and composition of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in undisturbed regions could expand our understandings on the mechanisms of microbial community assembly and ecosystem responses to environmental change. This study investigated the spatial distribution of bacterial community diversity and composition...

Salinity is a global problem, and almost more than 20% of the total cultivated area of the world is affected by salt stress. Phytoremediation is one of the most suitable practices to combat salinity and recently biochar has showed the tremendous potential to alleviate salt-affected soils and enhance vegetation. Trees improve the soil characteristic...

Optimizing economic benefit while reducing soil CO2 emissions in cropping systems has become the focus of agricultural study. We assessed the influence of short-term straw mulch and no-tillage on soil respiration (Rs), heterotrophic respiration (Rh), and autotrophic respiration (Ra), as well as economic benefit, in a traditional Chinese winterwheat...

Complete water accounting (WA) and crop water productivity (CWP) analysis is crucial for evaluating water use efficiency (WUE). This study aims to evaluate the contributions of hydro-meteorological factors to the changes of WA and CWP and subsequent WUE based on the data from 2009–2020 in the Nile River Basin (NRB), East Africa (EA). The Mann-Kenda...

The household energy mix has significant impacts on human health and climate, as it contributes greatly to many health- and climate-relevant air pollutants. Compared to the well-established urban energy statistical system, the rural household energy statistical system is incomplete and is often associated with high biases. Via a nationwide investig...

The household energy mix, especially the sustainable use of affordable clean energy, is an important part of society and is closely related to many sustainable development goals. The proportion of the population mainly using solid fuels or clean energy is widely considered, but multiple energy carriers (energy stacking) used in the real world resul...

North China is among the most polluted regions in the country, and human exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) in this region has led to severe health consequences. The region has also benefited the most from emission reductions in recent years. It is of interest to understand to what extent and throug...