Prof. Dr. Hongmei Deng

Dr. Hongmei Deng received her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Hunan University of Science and Technology, and her Ph.D. in Environmental Geochemistry from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. She was a visiting scholar at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (USA)  and at Lancaster University (UK) . She also conducted short-term collaborative research at the University of Western Australia. She has been a faculty member at Guangzhou University since 2006, where she is currently a Professor  at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering.  Professor Deng's research has been driven by a central ambition: to understand the environmental geochemical behavior, speciation, transport, and ecological impacts of trace toxic pollutants in soil and aquatic systems. In the early stages of her career, her research focused on the occurrence, mobility, and transformation of brominated flame retardants across water-suspended particle-sediment interfaces. Over the past decade, her research has increasingly concentrated on thallium, a rare but highly toxic metal, investigating its biogeochemical cycling, speciation transformation, and release mechanisms in mining-affected environments and paddy soils under varying hydrological conditions.  A major component of her work has been the development and application of passive sampling techniques, particularly the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) technology. She has pioneered the development of novel binding materials for DGT-based in situ measurement of thallium in natural waters and sediments, significantly advancing monitoring capabilities in complex environmental matrices. Her group has also explored the application of DGT for assessing thallium bioavailability in soil-plant systems. In addition, she has investigated the adsorption behavior of thallium on various materials and developed innovative remediation technologies for thallium-contaminated wastewater.  More recently, her research has expanded to include the environmental fate of emerging contaminants and the development of sustainable remediation strategies, including the use of composite hydrogels for heavy metal removal and advanced oxidation processes for microplastic degradation. Looking ahead, her research vision is to further advance in situ passive sampling technologies for trace contaminants while deepening the understanding of thallium dynamics in anthropogenically impacted environments. Ultimately, her goal is to bridge analytical innovation, environmental geochemistry, and remediation science to address emerging challenges in environmental pollution, ecosystem health, and sustainable resource management. 

Research project

National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) General Program (42377212): In situ study on thallium mobilization and release mechanisms at the sediment-water interface in river systems of metal mining areas, 2024.1–2027.12, PI.  NSFC General Program (42077339): Thallium speciation transformation and mechanisms in paddy soils under alternating wetting-drying conditions, 2021.1–2024.12, PI.  NSFC General Program (41173099): Mechanisms of dissolved organic matter effects on thallium mobilization in soil-plant systems, 2012.1–2015.12, PI.  NSFC Young Scientist Program (40803026): Migration and transformation mechanisms of brominated flame retardants at water-suspended particle-sediment interfaces, 2009.1–2011.12, PI.  NSFC International (Regional) Cooperation and Exchange Program (409841260313): Migration and transformation mechanisms of brominated flame retardants at water-suspended particle-sediment interfaces, 2009.7–2009.10, PI.  National Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment, Sub-project (2008ZX07211-008): Development and application of dynamic control and management technology systems for priority pollutants in the Dongjiang River, 2008.1–2010.12, PI.  Guangdong Provincial Doctoral Startup Fund: Migration mechanisms of brominated flame retardants at multi-media interfaces in aquatic systems, 2008.10–2010.10, PI.  Guangzhou Municipal Joint Fund (High-Level University) Basic Research Program: Iron and thallium speciation transformation and thallium release mechanisms in paddy soils under different water management regimes, 2022.4–2024.3, PI.  Guangzhou Municipal University Research Program (1201620157): Application of diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) technique for assessing thallium bioavailability in soils, 2017.1–2018.12, PI.  Guangzhou Science and Technology Program General Research Project (201510010225): Iron nanowire-based technology for thallium-containing wastewater treatment and associated mechanisms, 2015.1–2017.12, PI.

Key Publications

• Jingjing Liu, Hongmei Deng, Yuxuan Liu, Yongru Xie. Removal of polypropylene microplastics by using air dielectric barrier discharges. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 13 (2025) 117273
• Zhiyi Song, Honmgei Deng, Zezhi Chen, Tao Liu, Tangfu Xiao. Accumulation of thallium and potential toxic elements in a water-soil-rice system from a pyrite mining area, southern China: Source apportionment and health risk assessment. Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, 2025, 7, 407–416.
• Jiayin Zhao, Hongmei Deng, Zhiyi Song, Shishi Wu, Bixia Liang, Jiexi Luo,Tangfu Xiao. Excess supply of sulfur mitigates thallium toxicity to rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth in hydroponic experiment. Science of the Total Environment 954 (2024) 176216
• Hongmei Deng, Meiling Liu, Zhaodong Liu,, Minhua Su, Yue Gao, Danxing Yang, Yuxuan Liu, Liang Ma, Zhiqiang Yu, Tangfu Xiao, Jun Luo. Development and evaluation of diffusive gradients in thin-films technique with a novel titanium peroxide binding gel for in situ measurement of Tl in natural waters and sediments. Journal of Hazardous Materials 458 (2023) 131976
• Yu Liu, Lezhang Wei, Hongmei Deng, Simin Hu, Xianming Xie, Dinggui Luo,Tangfu Xiao. Hydrogeochemistry of groundwater surrounding a pyrite mine in southern China: Assessment of the diffusive gradients in thin films technique for in situ monitoring. Journal of Hydrology 622 (2023) 129685
• Hongmei Deng, Mengting Luo , Minhua Su, Diyun Chen, Yu Liu, Wenkan Peng , Shiping Liao, Zhiqiang Yu, Jun Luo, Tangfu Xiao.Geochemical distribution and speciation of Tl and other trace metals in upper Beijiang River in South China: Approach of in-situ DGT monitoring.Science of the Total Environment, 2021, 800: 149636-149644
• Weitong Tan , Yang Ruan , Zenghui Diao , Gang Song, Minhua Su , Li’an Hou , Diyun Chen, Lingjun Kong, Hongmei Deng*. Removal of levofloxacin through adsorption and peroxymonosulfate activation using carbothermal reduction synthesized nZVI/carbon fiber Chemosphere 2021, 280: 130626- 130636
• Deng H M, Luo M T, Shi X Y, Williams P N, Li K X, Liu M L, Fan W Y, Xiao T F, Chen, Y H, Ma L Q, Luo J, In situ measurement of thallium in natural waters by a technique based on diffusive gradients in thin films containing a δ-MnO2 gel layer. Analytical Chemistry, 2019, 91(2): 1344–1352.
• Hongmei Deng, Zijun Zhang, Nan Xu. Removal of Tl(I) ions from Aqueous Solution using Fe@Fe2O3 Core-Shell Nanowires. Clean-Soil Air Water, 2016,44 (9999), 1–11
• Hongmei Deng,Yongheng Che, Honghai Wu, Tao Liu,Yaolong Wang, Gaoyuan Wu, Hengpeng Ye. Adsorption of Tl(I) on Na–montmorillonite and kaolinite from aqueous solutions. Environ Earth Sci，2016，75,752-761