Specialization

AOPs, Waste Management, Air Quality, LCA, ESG

Email

ashu.kumar@thapar.edu

About

Dr. Ashutosh Kumar has been associated with the School of Energy & Environment, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala Campus as an Assistant Professor since January 2021. He is a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering discipline from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong and an M.Tech in Environmental Management of Rivers and Lakes (EMRL) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, India. In addition, he is the recipient of globally competitive and prestigious Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) Award in 2015. 

At HKUST, he developed various low cost visible-light-driven nanophotocatalysts for degradation of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) present in sewage. Additionally, he also earned certifications in Chemical and Laser Safety from HKUST. However, during his M.Tech. study at IIT Roorkee, he worked on municipal solid waste to energy conversion and greenhouse gas emission assessments for three prominent landfill sites of Delhi. Moreover, he has two years of professional experience in sewage and industrial wastewater treatment in both public and private sectors across India. During his professional experience at Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), he was involved in ambitious Hussain Sagar Lake and Catchment Area Improvement Project (HCIP) which was funded by Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC).

Publications:

Till date, he published his research findings in diverse internationally-reputed Energy and Environmental journals, viz., Nature Communications, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Chemical Engineering Journal, Water Research, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Science of the Total Environment, Urban Climate, Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, etc. Furthermore, as per the Google Scholar Citation report, his publications are cited over 2000 times with an H-index of 18.

Journal Papers (SCI/SCIE): 27

Book Chapters: 01

Conference Papers: 01

Conference Presentations: 04

Invited Talk: 05

Research Interests:

His research interests are not limited to Photocatalysis and Waste Management only. He is also open to work in the interdisciplinary areas of nanotechnology, energy, and environmental engineering, viz., nanotechnology for energy and sensing applications, treatment of emerging chemicals in water and wastewater, bioremediation, adsorption, etc.

Key Publications

[1] Wu, Q., Lung, C. W., Solís, J. J. C., Zhang, Y., Khan, M., Kumar, A., He, J., and Lo, I.M.C. (2026). Regulating peracetic acid activation toward a singlet oxygen- dominated pathway via a 3D floating photothermal catalyst for selective antibiotic degradation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 546, 180510 (IF: 12.5) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.180510

[2] Zheng, Z., Zhang, J., Solís, J. J. C., Cheung, H. Y. M., Kumar, A., Guan, X., Dong, H., and Lo, I.M.C. (2026). Iodine-mediated proton-coupled electron transfer enables selective polymerization of organic pollutants in an oxidant-free electrocatalytic system. Nature Communications, 17, 7530 (IF: 18.1) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74349-6

[3] Singh, G., and Kumar, A. (2026). Driving ESG excellence in the pharmaceutical sector through an analytical approach: A roadmap for score improvement. Environmental Science: Advances, 5, 221–238. (IF: 6.7) https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00286A

[4] Abhiraman, V. J., Khandelwal, N., Krishnaiah, R., Behera, S. K., and Kumar, A. (2025). Comparative life cycle assessment of lithium iron phosphate and nickel manganese cobalt batteries for electric vehicles: An Indian perspective. Energy for Sustainable Development, 89, 101837. (IF: 5.2) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2025.101837

[5] Khandelwal, N., Behera, S. K., Kumar, A., and Gedam, V. V. (2025). Life cycle assessment and circular economy in emerging green and sustainable energy sectors: A critical review. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 81, 104436. (IF: 7.4) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2025.104436

[6] Khandelwal, N., Kumari, S., Poduval, S., Behera, S.K., Kumar, A., and Gedam, V.V. (2025). Life-cycle assessment of three biorefinary pathways across different generations. Scientific Reports, 15, 13135. (IF: 4.9) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96474-w

[7] Sharma, R. and Kumar, A. (2023). Determinants of quantification of tourism waste in the hilly terrain of Himalayas: A spatial approach. Waste Management, 166, 46-57 (IF: 7.3) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2023.04.039

[8] Badsha, M.A.H., Khan, M., Wu, Baile, Kumar, A., and Lo, I.M.C. (2021). Role of surface functional groups of hydrogels in metal adsorption: From performance to mechanism. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 408, 124463. (IF: 10.6) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124463

[9] Kumar, A., Khan, M., He, J., and Lo, I.M.C. (2020). Visible–light–driven magnetically recyclable terephthalic acid functionalized g–C₃N₄/TiO₂ heterojunction nanophotocatalyst for enhanced degradation of PPCPs. Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 270, 118898. (IF: 19.7) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.118898

[10] Kumar, A., Khan, M., He, J., and Lo, I.M.C. (2020). Recent developments and challenges in practical application of visible–light–driven TiO₂–based heterojunctions for PPCP degradation: A critical review. Water Research, 170, 115356. (IF: 12.8) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115356

Research Projects

Consultancy Projects