Dr Taiseer Hussain Nafea is a Teaching Fellow in Environmental Science at the School of Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Ningbo China. He holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering , an MSc in Environmental Engineering from the University of Nottingham UK, and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University, India. His research focuses on the sources, transport, fate, and impacts of microplastic pollution across environmental compartments—particularly in atmospheric, freshwater, and wastewater systems—and their implications for human health and ecosystem integrity. His work is closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Education History

1. 2014–2018 BE in Chemical Engineering, Visvesvaraya Technological University, India

2. 2018–2020 MSc in Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham, UK

3. 2021–2025 PhD in Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham, UK

Dr Nafea's research spans the broad field of environmental pollution, with a focus on understanding the behavior, transport, and impacts of contaminants across atmospheric, aquatic, and terrestrial systems. His work integrates field monitoring, laboratory analysis, and statistical modeling to characterize pollution dynamics and inform evidence-based mitigation strategies. His key research areas include:

Microplastic Pollution Across Environmental Compartments

Dr Nafea's doctoral research established new understandings of how microplastics travel across environmental systems. His work in Environmental Science & Technology provides the first multi-event evidence of typhoon-induced microplastic transport from deep ocean layers to the atmosphere, demonstrating how extreme weather events mobilise marine microplastics through vertical mixing, wave-breaking, and bubble-bursting processes—revealing a critical feedback loop between climate change and plastic pollution. His research on atmospheric microplastics, published in Earth-Science Reviews, comprehensively examines sources, transport mechanisms, seasonal variations, and interactions with other pollutants, while his nationwide study in Journal of Cleaner Production quantifies atmospheric microplastic deposition across 30 Chinese cities, linking pollution levels to urbanization, economic development, and meteorological factors. His work on wastewater treatment plants, published in Environmental Engineering Research, synthesizes global evidence on the sources, fate, removal efficiencies, and analytical methodologies for microplastics in wastewater systems, highlighting how these facilities—despite achieving over 90% removal—remain significant point sources due to the vast volumes of effluent discharged.

Air Pollution Monitoring and Control

Dr Nafea's research extends to broader air pollution dynamics. His study on air pollutants from kerosene-powered generators in Baghdad, published in Pollution, investigates the spatial and temporal variability of carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitric oxide (NO), and fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) in a densely populated urban neighborhood. This work employs systematic field monitoring, statistical analysis, and pollution gradient mapping to identify emission hotspots, assess dispersion patterns influenced by wind direction and meteorology, and evaluate exceedances against World Health Organization air quality guidelines—providing critical evidence for urban air quality management in generator-dependent cities.

Water and Wastewater Quality Management

Dr Nafea has a strong foundation in water and wastewater treatment processes, with expertise in understanding the fate of contaminants throughout treatment trains. His review on microplastics in wastewater treatment plants critically examines removal mechanisms across primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment stages, the interactions between microplastics and chemical/biological pollutants, and the formation of biofilms on plastic surfaces that can facilitate the spread of pathogens and toxic substances. This work informs strategies for optimizing treatment technologies to reduce the release of emerging contaminants into receiving water bodies.

Contaminants of Emerging Concern

Across his research portfolio, Dr Nafea addresses the broader category of contaminants of emerging concern, with a focus on how microplastics interact with other pollutants—including heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pathogens—to act as vectors for toxic substance transport. His work examines the adsorption mechanisms, biofilm formation, and potential human health implications of these complex pollutant mixtures, contributing to understanding of the combined toxicological risks posed by emerging contaminants in environmental systems.

Pollution Management and Policy Frameworks

Dr Nafea's research also addresses the management and mitigation of plastic pollution through integrated strategies. His work in Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology develops frameworks for microplastic management based on the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover) and upcycling approaches, emphasizing the need for circular economy principles, strong policy interventions, international cooperation, and public engagement. He advocates for regulatory frameworks that address the full lifecycle of plastics—from production to disposal—and for the integration of microplastics into air and water quality standards.

Publications

Dr Nafea has published his research in leading international peer-reviewed journals, including:

• Environmental Science & Technology (2025): Microplastics from Ocean Depths to Landfall: Typhoon-Induced Microplastic Circulation in a Warming Climate

• Earth-Science Reviews (2024): Microplastics Aloft: A comprehensive exploration of sources, transport, variations, interactions and their implications on human health in the atmospheric realm

• Journal of Cleaner Production (2026): Airborne microplastics in China: Assessing urbanization, weather factors and policy implications from the nationwide study

• Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology (2024): Status of management and mitigation of microplastic pollution

• Environmental Pollution (2025): Unveiling the seasonal transport and exposure risks of atmospheric microplastics in the southern area of the Yangtze River Delta, China

• Environmental Engineering Research (2023): Sources, fate, effects, and analysis of microplastic in wastewater treatment plants: A review

• Pollution (2025): Spatial and Temporal Variations of Air Pollutants Around Multiple Generator Sites: A Case Study

His work has contributed to advancing understanding of pollution dynamics across environmental systems, informing policy frameworks for air quality management and plastic waste reduction, and highlighting the interconnected nature of air, water, and climate challenges.