Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced that  has received an Agilent Thought Leader Award in recognition of his seminal contributions to China's environmental research and conservation efforts. Dr. Jiang is director of the  and the Chinese Academy of Sciences' . Dr. Jiang is a world-renowned environmental expert and lecturer who has authored and edited hundreds of peer-reviewed journal articles and books. RCEES is the leading comprehensive eco-environment research institute in China and home to three state key laboratories and world-class instrument facilities. The award will support Dr. Jiang and his team's research on emerging, persistent and toxic substances in the environment as well as the team's ongoing development of advanced screening methods to analyze those substances.

"China has increasingly recognized the importance of science and technology in solving problems of environmental pollution, and it is supporting a number of research projects on persistent organic pollutants," reported Dr. Jiang and colleagues in a 2010 Science China Chemistry article. "It is of the greatest importance to develop efficient methods for assessing the occurrence and environmental risks associated with those pollutants."

"This award is a good step for us to move forward to enhance environmental chemical research and, more importantly, to protect human health, not just in China but worldwide," Dr. Jiang added. "Today China faces more challenges than ever in protecting public health and the environment," said Monty Benefiel, Agilent vice president for Gas Phase Systems. "The government is investing billions in scientific research and rehabilitation efforts to alleviate China's growing concerns over air and water quality, food safety and other risks associated with rapid industrialization, urbanization and limited water resources." In upcoming studies, Dr. Jiang and his team plan to use  for non-targeted screening of organic pollutants in water systems across China. They will also employ hyphenated  to follow the transport of nanoparticles in environmental systems and to better identify and quantitate heavy metals and metalloids in polluted waters. "We are honored to support the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences and Dr. Jiang's important research aiding China's efforts to balance economic, industrial and urban development with environmental protection and public health," said Joe Weitzel, Agilent's environmental marketing manager.

The Agilent Thought Leader Award promotes fundamental scientific advances by contributing financial support, products and expertise to the research of influential thought leaders in the life sciences and chemical analysis space. Information about previous award recipients is available at Agilent's Thought Leader Program website.

About RCEES

, Chinese Academy of Sciences, formerly the Institute of Environmental Chemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences founded in 1975, is China's first comprehensive research institution engaged in research on eco-environmental science and technology. In 1986, authorized by State Science and Technology Commission and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), it was amalgamated with Research Center of Ecology of CAS and was reorganized into Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences (RCEES). In June 1999, it became a part of the Pilot Project of Knowledge Innovation Program of CAS. RCEES is located in Beijing and provides a key educational base for graduate students and offers educational programs in a variety of environmental sciences.