During July 19–29, Shizhen revisited the UK for the first time in nine years since her graduation. She spent about one week at the Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, to carry out a joint study on TOMPs air sampling, where she met with Prof. Kevin Jones and Prof. Andy Sweetman. Later, she visited Prof. Richard Thompson at the University of Plymouth, recognized as the “father of microplastics,” to discuss collaborative research on plastic pollution. This memorable trip not only brought back fond memories of her student days but also reinforced long-term collaborations and opened new opportunities for future research.












