In February 2026, the prestigious international journal Nature Sustainability published the latest research findings of the team led by Academician Peng Yongzhen from Beijing University of Technology, titled "Multi-zonal anaerobic ammonium oxidation for mainstream municipal wastewater treatment." This publication marks a significant breakthrough in applied basic research on sustainable urban wastewater treatment by the National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Re-Use Technology at BJUT. The University is the sole contributor. Academician Peng Yongzhen being the sole corresponding author, and postdoctoral researcher Zhao Qi being the sole first author.

Nature Sustainability is a leading interdisciplinary journal, one of the  Nature group of publications, which focuses on sustainable development issues. It holds significant influence in the fields of environmental science and engineering, Earth sciences, and sustainable technologies, with an impact factor of 27.1.

The team led by Academician Peng Yongzhen has consistently upheld the principle of "writing papers on the land of the motherland," ensuring that their research findings directly serve the country's "double carbon" goal, as well as the major need for water environment governance. Their work has helped China advance its place in urban wastewater treatment technologies, from following others to keeping pace and even leading. In December 2025, the team's project titled "Advanced Nitrogen Removal via Partial Denitrification and Anammox in Urban Wastewater" was awarded the First Prize of the Beijing Natural Science Award, with BJUT as the sole contributor.

Peng Yongzhen, Sole Corresponding Author

Peng Yongzhen is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, an expert in environmental engineering and wastewater treatment, Doctor of Engineering, and professor and Director of the National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology.

Zhao Qi，Sole First Author

Zhao Qi is a Doctor of Engineering (supervised by Academician Peng Yongzhen) and a postdoctoral researcher. His research focuses on low-carbon and sustainable urban wastewater treatment technologies.