Faculty Member Profile
Dr. Muhammad Azeem
Assistant Professor (TTS)
Post-doc (NWAFU, China 2019-20, PIFI-CAS China 2021-2022, IUE-CAS China 2024-26)
Ph.D Soil Science (PMAS-AAUR, UCR, USA - 2017)
Specialization
5 years of experience
Affiliation
Department of Soil Science, Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi
WoS/ ORCID / Google Scholar /Scopus / ResearchGate/Personal Web
ORCID: 0000-0003-2736-7972
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bHu2930AAAAJ&hl=en
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Muhammad-Azeem-29
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56921717500
Research Group
Soil Microbiology and Ecotoxicology
Research Interest
- Soil ecology and soil health
- Microbial ecology in the agricultural ecosystem
- Microbial mechanisms of CO 2 emission from agroecosystem
- Carbon sequestration in agricultural land
- Nutrient management
- Use of organic/inorganic amendments in agricultural lands for higher
- production and climate change mitigation in an arid and polluted environment
- Soil remediation from inorganic pollutants
No. of Research Projects
On Going
0
Completed
2
Research Supervision
PhD
0
MPhil/MS/M.Sc.(Hons)
2
Technologies Developed/Patent/IP etc.
● Bone-derived biochar production and characterization for heavy metal (Cd,
Zn, Pb, As) remediation in contaminated soils and water.
● Biochar-derived dissolved organic matter (BDOM) extraction and application
technique for soil microbial and DOM interaction studies.
● Functionalized biochar composites (e.g., MoO 3 -biochar, hydroxyapatite-
biochar, Fe/Zr-modified biochar) for heavy metal and microplastic/ROS
remediation.
● Deashed biochar as a nitrogen-carrier to reduce N-losses in calcareous soils.
Area(s) of Consultancy Services
Soil health and fertility assessment; Biochar production, characterization, and application for soil amendment and remediation; Remediation of heavy-metal and microplastic contaminated soil/water; Organic/inorganic amendment and nutrient management for arid and degraded lands, Composting and organic waste management.
Total Publications: 90
Research Papers (Latest Ten)
- Azeem M, Ma J, Yao Z, Wang Z, Han R, Dong Z, Rafiq N, Akmal M, Li H, Li G. 2025. Fluorescent characteristics of biochar dissolved organic matter (BDOM) release from bone- biochar: A comparison with plant-, and manure-based biochars at different pyrolysis temperatures. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. 1-15. (2025)
- Azeem M, Han R, Liu S, Jacques KJ, Abdelrahman H, Kazmi SS, Kareem A, Khan ZH, Rafiq N, Li H, Kuzyakov Y. 2025. Biochar-derived dissolved organic matter induced changes in the bacterial communities structure and metabolic functions in As and Cd contaminated soil. Environmental Research. 2:122749. (2025)
- Azeem M, Wang J, Kubwimana JJ, Kazmi SSH, Khan ZH, He K, Han R. 2025. Biochar- derived dissolved organic matter (BDOM) shifts fungal community composition: BDOM- soil DOM interaction. Applied Soil Ecology. 207:105916. (2025)
- Azeem M, Sun TR, Jeyasundar PGSA, Han RX, Li H, Abdelrahman H, Shaheen SM, Zhu YG, Li G. 2023. Biochar-derived dissolved organic matter (BDOM) and its influence on soil microbial community composition, function, and activity: A review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 53: 1912-1934. (2023)
- Azeem M, Jeyasundar PGSA, Ali A, Riaz L, Khan KS, Hussain Q, Kareem HA, Abbas F, Latif A, Majrashi A, Ali EF, Li R, Shaheen SM, Li G, Zhang Z. 2022. Cow bone-derived biochar enhances microbial biomass and alters bacterial community composition and diversity in a smelter-contaminated soil. Environmental Research. 114278. (2022)
- Azeem M, Raza S, Li G, Smith P, Zhu YG. 2022. Soil inorganic carbon sequestration through alkalinity regeneration using biologically induced weathering of rock powder and biochar. Soil Ecology Letters. 1-14. (2022)
- Azeem M, Shaheen SM, Ali A, Jeyasundar PGSA, Latif A, Abdelrahman H, Li R, Almazroui M, Niazi NK, Sarmah AK, Li G, Rinklebe J, Zhu YG, Zhang Z. 2021. Removal of potentially toxic elements from contaminated soil and water using bone char compared to plant- and bone-derived biochars: A review. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 128131. (2021)
- Azeem M, Soundari PG, Ali A, Tahir MI, Imran M, Bashir S, Irfan M, Li G, Zhu YG, Zhang Z. 2021. Soil metaphenomics: A step forward in metagenomics. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science. 68(12):1645-1663. (2021)
- Azeem M, Ali A, Soundari PG, Yiman L, Abdelrahman H, Latif A, Ronghua L, Basta N, Li G, Shaheen SM, Rinklebe J, Zhang Z. 2021. Bone-derived biochar improved soil quality and reduced Cd and Zn phytoavailability in a multi-metal contaminated mining soil. Environmental Pollution, 277: 116800. (2021)
- Azeem M, Ali A, Jeyasundar PGSA, Bashir S, Hussain Q, Wahid F, Ali EF, Abdelrahman H, Li R, Antoniadis V, Rinklebe J, Shaheen SM, Li G, Zhang Z. 2021. Effects of sheep bone biochar on soil quality, maize growth, and fractionation and phytoavailability of Cd and Zn in a mining-contaminated soil. Chemosphere. 131016. (2021)
Books (Latest Ten)
No books listed.
- President's International Fellowship for Internationals (2021-2022), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China (2022)
- HEC Indigenous Scholarship for Ph.D. studies (2012-2015), Higher Education Commission, Pakistan (2015)
- HEC-IRSIP (International Research Support Initiative Program) to conduct research at the University of California, Riverside, USA (2014-2015) (2015)
- Vice-Chancellor Talent Scholarship awarded during M.Sc. (Hons.) Soil Science in Fall Semester 2009 and Fall Semester 2011 (2011)
