Dr. Bienvenu Gael Fouda Mbanga is a Research Fellow in Environmental Analytical Chemistry with a focus on nanomaterials for water remediation, pollution control, and forensic applications. He is currently based at the Department of Chemistry, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, and holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Analytical Chemistry from the University of Johannesburg.
Dr. Fouda Mbanga’s research specializes in the synthesis and application of carbon-based nanomaterials and metal oxide nanocomposites for the removal of heavy metals and emerging contaminants from wastewater. He is particularly known for pioneering the reuse of spent adsorbents in forensic science, especially for latent fingerprint detection—a unique innovation at the intersection of environmental chemistry and criminalistics.
Over the past decade, he has gained expertise in advanced analytical techniques such as FTIR, SEM, BET, TGA, XRD, XPS, ICP-MS, and NAA, and has applied these tools to study materials synthesized from agricultural wastes like pineapple leaves. His broader research interests span sustainable materials, circular economy, and low-cost water treatment technologies.
Dr. Fouda Mbanga has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in leading journals including Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Hybrid Advances, and ACS Omega. He also mentors postgraduate students and collaborates internationally with researchers from Nigeria, Cameroon, India, and the United States.
He is a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor's Research Fellowship and the NanoAfrica Best Poster Award, and was selected to represent South Africa at an international seminar on circular agriculture in China. Beyond academia, he provides career mentorship to students through the University of Pretoria's outreach program.
Dr. Fouda Mbanga is committed to using scientific innovation to address pressing environmental challenges in Africa and beyond. His current research projects explore the valorization of agricultural waste for nanomaterial development, with applications in water purification, energy systems, and green forensic technologies.
