Jointly organized by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Engineering of the United States, the 7th China-Us Engineering Frontier Symposium (CAFOE) in 2022 was held simultaneously in China and the United States in a combination of online and offline from July 19 to 21, Beijing time. Professor Li Hui, as the representative of the Chinese side, presented a wall paper exhibition and academic exchange entitled "Non-point Pollution of Urban Road Runoff: In-situ Control Technologies". The theme focuses on "Water sustainability", one of the four major topics of the conference, which has attracted the attention and heated discussions of Chinese and American delegates.

The China-America Frontiers of Engineering Symposium (CAFOE), founded in 2009 (2022 CAFOE website), It is an important academic exchange activity co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Engineering, aiming to provide a cross-disciplinary interactive platform for outstanding young engineers of the two countries to exchange and learn about cutting-edge engineering issues. The conference is held every two years, alternating between the two countries. Previously, the Chinese Academy of Engineering held the "7th China Frontier Engineering Youth Seminar and US-China Frontier Engineering Seminar Selection Meeting for Chinese Delegates" in December 2021, and selected 2 Chinese reporters and 5 representatives from wall newspapers for each topic across the country as Chinese representatives for the "7th US-China Frontier Engineering Seminar".

Academician Li Xiaohong, President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony. [Photo by Sun Zifa/China News Service]

The conference includes four sub-topics: additive and additive manufacturing, food safety in the context of big data and genomics, water sustainability, and wearable electronics and human health. At the opening ceremony of the US-China Seminar on Frontier Engineering held on the morning of July 19, Prof. Xiaohong Li, President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Prof. John L. Anderson, President of the US National Academy of Engineering, Prof. Jing Cheng, Chairman of the Chinese Conference and professor of the School of Medicine of Tsinghua University, Eleanor Allen, Chair of the US side and CEO of B Lab Global, delivered separate speeches. Academician Li Zhongping, Vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, presided over the opening ceremony.

Professor John L. Anderson, President of the US National Academy of Engineering, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony. [Photo by Sun Zifa/China News Service]

Focusing on urban road runoff non-point source pollution, Professor Li Hui introduced the current situation of urban road runoff pollution, technology development status and implementation effects from three aspects: background and research significance, ecological road in-situ purification, and roadside low-impact development, and proposed future research prospects. This field involves engineering, materials, physics, chemistry, biology and other disciplines. Under the current situation of point source pollution being gradually controlled, it is urgent to carry out more in-depth systematic basic research and application research. Professor Li Hui has been committed to the research of ecological functionalization of road pavement. In the field of in-situ purification of road runoff pollution, he has proposed a multi-stage enhanced water purification method with high efficiency filter material combination layer, modified porous functional filler and comprehensive physical filtration and chemical degradation loaded with nano-titanium dioxide. The comprehensive removal rate of effective runoff pollutants has increased from less than 30% to no less than 50%. The purification function can be maintained for more than 6 years.

Poster of Professor Li Hui's presentation: In Situ Control of Non-point Source Pollution from urban Road runoff

This conference has inspired people to think deeply about the cross-disciplinary impact of different fields, and also set up a platform for scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States. All the experts participated actively and offered suggestions. Professor Li Hui was awarded the honorary certificate of "Chinese Engineering Frontier Outstanding Young Scholar" by the International Cooperation Bureau of Chinese Academy of Engineering after the meeting.