Please check back soon for more speakers.
27 February (2–3 p.m. HST) • Protecting Our Shorelines: Innovations in Oil Spill Cleanup by Dr. Chunjiang An, Associate Professor in Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering at Concordia University, Canada. Location: Zoom (Register HERE).
Protecting Our Shorelines: Innovations in Oil Spill Cleanup
Speaker: Dr. Chunjiang An
Oil spills along our coastlines pose a serious environmental threat, harming marine life, disrupting local economies, and causing lasting damage to ecosystems. These spills can result from offshore drilling, transportation accidents, or industrial activities. Once oil reaches the shore, it becomes even more difficult to clean up, often lingering for years and affecting fisheries, tourism, and the natural beauty of coastal regions. While traditional shoreline spill response methods exist, they often fall short of effectively removing oil. Recognizing these challenges, Dr. An’s research focuses on improving shoreline oil spill response. His work has revealed how oil moves and spreads in coastal areas, helping experts predict spill behavior and develop more effective cleanup strategies. He is also developing eco-friendly cleaning solutions for oil spills. These green washing agents not only remove oil but also accelerate its natural breakdown, making cleanup safer for the environment. This work is shaping the future of oil spill cleanup by contributing to cleaner and more resilient shorelines.
For more information about the Spring 2026 WRRC Seminars, please contact: Xiaolong (Leo) Geng, xgeng@hawaii.edu
If interested in joining the seminar, please contact: wrrc@hawaii.edu
10 February (3–4 p.m. HST) • Can Microbial Intelligent Pathways Apply for Biodegradation of Plastics? by Dr. Hor-Gil Hur, Professor at the School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Korea. NEW LOCATION: Holmes Hall Room 285 (IN-PERSON EVENT ONLY).
Can Microbial Intelligent Pathways Apply for Biodegradation of Plastics?
Speaker: Dr. Hor-Gil Hur
As we feel and experience problems associated with various plastics, cleaning and recycling the waste plastics with non-hazardous and economically affordable methods are urgently demanded. Indeed, worldwide annual production of plastics amounts from 350 to 400 MT. Among the various plastics produced, polyethylene and polypropylene represent about 92% of the synthetic plastics produced, which are mostly used in the production of plastic bags, disposable containers, bottles, packaging materials, etc. One question is “Can accumulated current information about microbial physiology and biochemistry for biodegradation mechanisms, from C1 compound methane to polymer lignin, shed light on cleaning the plastic polymers?” There have been numerous articles for microbial biodegradation of plastic polymers. In microbial communities, however, they believe that plastics with oxygen-incorporated functional groups, such as PET and polyurethane, might be subjected to biodegradation, but plastics without oxygen in the crystalline film plastic structure—like low-density and high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene—cannot be. In the given time of the session, Dr. Hur will share lessons learned from microbial oxidation processes to various compounds, from methane to lignin, to encourage participants to clean plastic wastes through environmentally friendly methods.