Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
Dr. Paul N. Williams is a Lecturer, Director of QUB’s Agriculture Degrees, United Nations FAO/IAEA consultant for the Nuclear Applications Laboratories, member of the Fonds Wetenschap Vlaanderen (FWO) Review College, and fellow of the British Society of Soil Science. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Springer Nature journal Exposure & Health, and holds board positions with four more journals, including ES&T from which he has received three excellence in review awards. He has also been a guest editor for PNAS, organised and co-chaired the 2023 Irish Plant Scientists Association Conference in Belfast and the 2025 Goldenkeys Conference on Sustainable Sciences (Guiyang, China). He has held two Chinese Academy of Sciences President and a Nanjing University International Fellowship award. His publication record includes >120 peer reviewed articles, with a h-factor of 50 and >11,000 citations. He has also written numerous book chapters on chemical contaminants and the use of laser ablation mass spectrometry in food and soil safety. With over 20 years of experience in agri-environmental metrology, his research interests span analytical chemistry, mineral nutrition, and trace-element fate/behaviour in global agricultural systems.
Teaching
Module Coordinator for:
BBC8042: Foundations for Research in the Biosciences (MSc)
BIO3307: Project Work (Ag Tech)
Teaching Contribution to:
ALU8002: Advanced Food Bioanalysis (MSc)
BIO1302: Fundamentals of Nutrition and Food Policy
BIO3207 Global Issues in Agriculture
BIO4102: Advanced Food Bioanalysis (MSci)
BIO8101: Food Safety and Health
BIO8201: Advanced Analytical Tools for Food Security
BIO8202: Food Integrity, Fraud and Traceability (MSc/MSci)
BIO4301: Research Project (MSci)
BIO3302: Project (FQSN)
LFE8008: Rural Development Project
BIO2106: Plant and Soil Science
Other
ACADEMIC JOURNALS
2024-present Journal of Exposure & Health. Editor-in-Chief.
2024-present Chemosphere. Associate Editor. Environ. Chemistry
2023-present Crit. Insights in Environmental Sci. & Tech. Editorial Board
2022-present Soil Exposure & Health, Elsevier. Editorial Board
2021-present Environmental Science & Technology. Editorial Board
2020-2024 Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry. Review Editor
2016-2024 Journal of Exposure & Health. Subject Editor
2015-2021 Journal of Environmental Quality (JEQ). Assoc. Editor
2013-present J. of Agricultural Sci. (JAS), Cambridge. Assoc. Editor
2013-present Water Quality, Exposure & Health. Editorial Board.
2008-present Environmental Pollution. Editorial Board.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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R1122GFS: Optimizing rice nutrition through post harvest processing
Meharg, A. (PI), Meharg, C. (CoI) & Williams, P. (CoI)
28/11/2019 → …
Project: Research
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R1979BSC: Conflict between food security and greenhouse emissions in rice paddies
Kumaresan, D. (PI) & Williams, P. (CoI)
11/12/2018 → 31/03/2019
Project: Research
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R3062BSC: Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Dialogue on Sustainable Wetland & Coastal Resources: Guyana
Houghton, J. (PI), Kumaresan, D. (CoI) & Williams, P. (CoI)
09/07/2018 → 31/03/2019
Project: Research
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R3055BSC: A novel biogas-driven remediation system for chromium contaminated groundwater
Kumaresan, D. (PI) & Williams, P. (CoI)
03/07/2018 → 31/03/2019
Project: Research
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R3981GFS: South American-UK Agri-Industrial Waste-to-Land Challenge Hub
Williams, P. (PI) & Kumaresan, D. (CoI)
25/09/2017 → 31/03/2018
Project: Research
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Localized Flux Maxima of Arsenic, Lead, and Iron around Root Apices in Flooded Lowland Rice
Williams, P. N., Santner, J., Larsen, M., Lehto, N. J., Oburger, E., Wenzel, W., Glud, R. N., Davison, W. & Zhang, H., 2014, In: Environmental Science and Technology. 48, 15, p. 8498-8506 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile147 Citations (Scopus)530 Downloads (Pure) -
Africa, an emerging exporter of turmeric: combating fraud with rapid detection systems
Abia, W. A., Haughey, S. A., Radhika, R., Taty, B. P., Russell, H., Carey, M., Maestroni, B. M., Petchkongkaew, A., Elliott, C. T. & Williams, P. N., 01 May 2025, In: Foods. 14, 9, 1590.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)97 Downloads (Pure) -
A review of supporting evidence, limitations and challenges of using cover crops in agricultural systems
Cottney, P., Black, L., White , E. & Williams, P. N., Jun 2025, In: Agriculture. 15, 11, 30 p., 1194.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)4 Downloads (Pure) -
Assessing the performance of diffusive gradients in thin films for plant available phosphorus in northern Irish dairy farms
Hall, R. L., Macintosh, K. A., Higgins, S., McGrath, J. & Williams, P. N., Dec 2025, In: Geoderma Regional . 43, 8 p., e01027.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Chapter 21 - Advances in assessing heavy metal residues in food
Williams, P., Haughey, S., Li, Y., Fernández-Ruiz, R., de la Escosura-Muñiz , A., Migliori, A., Vlachou, C. & Maestroni, B., 24 Jun 2025, (Accepted) Chemical contaminants in foods: understanding and managing risks (ed. Dr Rob Theelen). BDS publishing CambridgeResearch output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Datasets
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Optimising sample preparation and calibrations in EDXRF for quantitative soil analysis
Croffie, M. E. T. (Creator), Williams, P. (Data Manager) & Daly, K. (Data Manager), Queen's University Belfast, 15 Jul 2020
DOI: 10.17034/feca94bd-e9c7-4716-9103-33cafa09a3be
Dataset
File
Prizes
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Chinese Academy of Sciences - President's International Fellowship Award (PIFI)
Williams, P. (Recipient), Jul 2016
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
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Environmental Science & Technology - Excellence in Review Award
Williams, P. (Recipient), 04 Nov 2014
Prize: National/international honour
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Environmental Science & Technology - Excellence in Review Award
Williams, P. (Recipient), 23 Feb 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Environmental Science & Technology's "Super Reviewer Award" 2017
Williams, P. (Recipient), 07 Nov 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Activities
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Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment NI: Member of the Regulation Committee (External organisation)
Williams, P. (Advisor)
01 Jan 2026Activity: Membership types › Membership of peer review panel or committee
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Celebrating 25 years of Collaborative research on rice andsustainable agriculture
Hastings, T. (Presenter), Williams, P. (Organiser), Sumon, M. (Contributor), Chin, J. (Contributor) & Ahmad, M. R. (Contributor)
05 Nov 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Celebrating 25 years of Collaborative research on rice andsustainable agriculture
Hastings, T. (Organiser), Williams, P. (Organiser) & Ahmad, M. R. (Organiser)
03 Nov 2025 → 04 Nov 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Muhammad Ali Siddiquee
Hastings, T. (Host) & Williams, P. (Host)
01 Nov 2025 → 05 Nov 2025Activity: Hosting a visitor types › Hosting an academic visitor
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Mohammad Mahir Uddin,
Hastings, T. (Host) & Williams, P. (Host)
01 Nov 2025 → 05 Nov 2025Activity: Hosting a visitor types › Hosting an academic visitor