Jianyong Liu's primary research expertise lies in the low-carbon treatment and resource utilization of wastewater and solid waste. His research adheres to the principle of conducting fundamental research oriented toward engineering applications and developing innovative technologies for industrialization. Focusing on the dual carbon goals, he addresses key industry pain points in wastewater and waste treatment, such as high energy and chemical consumption, significant carbon emissions, and excessive sludge production.
Innovatively, a complete-anaerobic wastewater treatment process integrating anaerobic digestion and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) has been proposed by Jianyong Liu's team. This process enables energy recovery from organic wastewater and achieves low-carbon nitrogen removal. In addition, a novel process combining the high-load activated sludge method with a double-membrane method has been developed, enabling high-quality reclaimed water reuse and efficient, low-carbon treatment of concentrated brine.
Jianyong Liu has led and undertaken one government-funded international cooperation project under the National Key Research and Development Program, three general projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and five major, key, and technological innovation projects at the provincial and ministerial levels. Over 120 high-level academic papers have been published, and more than 20 invention patents have been granted.
Jianyong Liu has established long-term substantive collaborations with Tohoku University (Japan), the University of Queensland (Australia), Ghent University (Belgium), and Arizona State University (USA) to conduct internationally leading cooperative research. His group emphasizes the integration of production, education, and research. Long-term cooperative research has also been conducted with large state-owned enterprises, combining original research with application-oriented technology development and facilitating industrial translation of new technologies.
Productive demonstration studies have been carried out successively at daily treatment scales of ten tons, one hundred tons, and one thousand tons. Dozens of enterprise-commissioned projects have been undertaken, and talent cultivation is closely aligned with industrial demands.
1. The National Key Research and Development Program of China, A low-carbon biotechnology for municipal wastewater treatment: Anaerobic membrane bioreactor-sulfate reduction for sludge resources combined with anammox for mainstream nitrogen removal (2022YFE0112900).
1. The Prize of Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award (the third class).
2. Shanghai Municipal Education Award.
1. Simulation and control of environmental engineering.
2. Theory and Technology of wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization.
3. Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering Design.
1. Bu, C., Wang, S., Yu, B., Pfaender, F., Zhu, T., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2025. Intelligent FA/FNA alternating strategy for nitrite-oxidizing bacteria inhibition: Data-driven prediction and process control. Journal of environmental management 386, 125688.
2. Deng, J., Xiao, X., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2023. Low-carbon nitrogen removal from power plants circulating cooling water and municipal wastewater by partial denitrification-anammox. Bioresource Technology 380, 129071.
3. Ji, H., Zhao, H., Liu, J. and Li, Y.-Y. 2026. Ultrafine partial nitritation-hydroxyapatite granules facilitate stable high-rate partial nitritation of anaerobic digestate of waste activated sludge. Bioresource Technology 440, 133530.
4. Ji, S., Wu, R., Zhang, Y., Zhao, H., Qin, H., Liu, J. and Li, Y.-Y. 2025. Robust aeration coefficient control based on pH feedback towards stable NO2–-N/NH4+-N ratio in large pilot-scale partial nitritation reactor treating food waste digestate. Bioresource Technology 432, 132676.
5. Li, Y., Liu, Y., Luo, J., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2021. Emerging onsite electron donors for advanced nitrogen removal from anammox effluent of leachate treatment: A review and future applications. Bioresource Technology 341, 125905.
6. Lin, C., Liu, Y., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2024. Achieving rapid start-up of mainstream partial nitritation by sludge treatment using high salinity. Chemical Engineering Journal 483, 149290.
7. Lin, C., Xiao, X., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2023. Evaluation of the economic and environmental benefits of partial nitritation anammox and partial denitrification anammox coupling preliminary treatment in mainstream wastewater treatment. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 188, 113800.
8. Lv, Y., Chang, N., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2021. Anaerobic co-digestion of food waste with municipal solid waste leachate: A review and prospective application with more benefits. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 174, 105832.
9. Tan, J., Ye, M., Lin, C., Yu, B., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2024. Assigning strategic COD flow to enhance denitrification coupled with anaerobic digestion and anammox for systematic upgradation of advanced nitrogen removal from food waste digestate. Chemical Engineering Journal 493, 152740.
10. Wu, R., Ji, S., Lin, C., Qin, H., Ye, M., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2026. Granular sludge-based partial denitrification/anammox achieving high anammox contribution for nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater using anoxic/aerobic process with independent sludge system. Journal of Cleaner Production 548, 147852.
11. Wu, R., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2022. Refractory dissolved organic matter as carbon source for advanced nitrogen removal from mature landfill leachate: A review and prospective application. Journal of Cleaner Production 380, 134962.
12. Wu, Z., Ji, S., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2023. A review of iron use and recycling in municipal wastewater treatment plants and a novel applicable integrated process. Bioresource Technology 379, 129037.
13. Yang, S., Luo, J., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2022. Contradictory effects of calcium on biological and membrane treatment of municipal solid waste leachate: A review and process optimization via biogas recirculation. Journal of Cleaner Production 338, 130568.
14. Ye, M., Zhu, A., Liu, J. and Li, Y.-Y. 2024. Iron Recycle-Driven Organic Capture and Sidestream Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor for Revolutionizing Bioenergy Generation in Municipal Wastewater Treatment. Environmental Science & Technology 58(21), 9350-9360.
15. You, J., Yu, B. and Liu, J. 2025. The pivotal role of hydroxylamine in the anammox-based processes: Mechanisms and practical applications. Chemical Engineering Journal 515, 163562.
16. Yu, B., Wu, D., Liu, J. and Volcke, E.I.P. 2025. Revisiting simultaneous sulfate reduction and ammonium oxidation in wastewater treatment – from inexplicable experimental observations to extended mechanistic hypotheses. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology.
17. Yu, B., Xiao, X., Wang, J., Hong, M., Deng, C., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2021. Enhancing phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge using anaerobic-based processes: Current status and perspectives. Bioresource Technology 341, 125899.
18. Zhang, Y., Deng, J., Xiao, X., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2023. Insights on pretreatment technologies for partial nitrification/anammox processes: A critical review and future perspectives. Bioresource Technology 384, 129351.
19. Zhao, H., Zhou, Y., Zou, L., Lin, C., Liu, J. and Li, Y.-Y. 2024. Pure water and resource recovery from municipal wastewater using high-rate activated sludge, reverse osmosis, and mainstream anammox: A pilot scale study. Water Research 266, 122443.
20. Zhao, H., Zou, L., Jiang, M., Li, Y.-Y. and Liu, J. 2023. Ozone pretreatment combined with partial denitrification-anammox process for efficient nitrogen removal from nanofiltration concentrate of landfill leachate. Chemical Engineering Journal 471, 144641.
