Academic and Professional Qualifications

ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONS & AWARDS

Awards and scholarships

• National Research Council Merit Award for scientific publications (2024)
• Prof. Yoo Hang Kim Young Women Scientists Award, Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (2023)
• Korea University Graduate Student Achievement Award, Korea University, South Korea (2021)
• Excellent Publication Award, Korea University, South Korea (2021)
• Outstanding contribution in reviewing for the Environmental Pollution journal, Elsevier
• Excellence in Reviewing Award (Top 25 Reviewers), The Journal of Soils and Sediments, Springer
• Excellent Publication Award, Korea University, South Korea (2020)
• Best Student Poster Presentation Award, 20th International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment, South Korea (2020)
• Best Poster Presentation Award, 3rd International Conference on Biological Waste as Resource, Hong Kong (2018)
• Best Oral Oresentation Award, 4th Asia Pacific Biochar Conference, China (2018)
• Foreign Global Leader Scholarship - Korea University, South Korea (2018 – 2022)
• Ce de S.W. Siriwardena Scholarship for the best performance in 1100 series of the Agricultural Technology and Management Degree Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (2009)

Patents

• Patent for production of atmospheric carbon dioxide adsorbent using biochar (South Korea) (Grant No.: 102392508, Grant date: 29-04-2022)

Key Publications in SCI Index Journals (Selected)

• Dissanayake, P.D., Alessi, D.S., Yang, X., Kim, J.Y., Yeom, K.M., Roh, S.W., Noh, J.H., Shaheen, S.M., Ok, Y.S. and Rinklebe, J. (2024). Redox-mediated changes in the release dynamics of lead (Pb) and bacterial community composition in a biochar amended soil contaminated with metal halide perovskite solar panel waste. Science of The Total Environment, 934, 173296 (Impact Factor: 10.753)
• Dissanayake, P.D., Withana, P.A., Sang, M.K., Cho, Y., Park, J., Oh, D.X., Chang, S.X., Lin, C.S.K., Bank, M.S., Hwang, S.Y. and Ok, Y.S. (2024). Effects of biodegradable poly (butylene adipate co-terephthalate) and poly (lactic acid) plastic degradation in soil. Soil Use and Management, 40(2), 13055 (Impact Factor: 5.000)
• Palansooriya, K. N., Dissanayake, P. D., Igalavithana, A. D., Tang, R., Cai, Y., and Chang, S. X. (2023). Converting food waste into soil amendments for improving soil sustainability and crop productivity: A review. Science of The Total Environment, 881:163311 (Impact Factor: 10.753)
• Dissanayake, P.D., Yeom, K.M., Sarkar, B., Alessi, D.S., Hou, D., Rinklebe, J., Noh, J.H., and Ok, Y.S. (2023). Environmental impact of metal halide perovskite solar cells and potential mitigation strategies: A critical review.  Environmental Research, 219: 115066 (Impact Factor: 8.431)
• Dissanayake, P.D., Palansooriya, K.N., Sang, M.K., Oh, D.X., Park, J., Hwang, S.Y., Igalavithana, A.D., Gu, C., and Ok, Y.S. (2022). Combined effect of biochar and soil moisture on soil chemical properties and microbial community composition in microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil. Soil Use and Management, 38(3): 1446-1458 (Impact Factor: 3.672)
• Dissanayake, P.D., Kim, S., Sarkar, B., Oleszczuk, P., Sang, M.K., Haque, M.N., Ahn, J.H., Bank, M.S. and Ok, Y.S. (2022). Effects of microplastics on the terrestrial environment: A critical review. Environmental Research, 209: 112734 (Impact Factor: 8.431)
• Palansooriya, K.N., Li, J., Dissanayake, P.D., Suvarna, M., Li, L., Yuan, X., Sarkar, B., Tsang, D.C., Rinklebe, J., Wang, X. and Ok, Y.S. (2022). Prediction of Soil Heavy Metal Immobilization by Biochar Using Machine Learning. Environmental Science & Technology. 56 (7): 4187- 4198 (Impact Factor: 11.357)
• Maged, A., Dissanayake, P.D., Yang, X., Pathirannahalage, C., Bhatnagar, A., and Ok, Y.S. (2021). New mechanistic insight into rapid adsorption of pharmaceuticals from water utilizing activated biochar. Environmental Research, 202: 111693 (Impact Factor: 8.431)
• Dissanayake, P.D., Choi, S.W., Igalavithana, A.D., Yang, X., Tsang, D.C.W., Wang, C.H., Kua, H.W., Lee, K.B., and Ok, Y.S. (2020). Sustainable gasification biochar as a high efficiency adsorbent for CO2 capture: A facile method to designer biochar fabrication. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 124: 109785 (Impact Factor: 16.799)

Book Chapters

• Senanayake, M., Dissanayake, P. D., Rhee, J. H., Vithanage, M., & Ok, Y. S. (2025). ESG Perspective and Biodiversity Impact of Waste?derived Biochar. In: Yuqing Sun, Daniel C.W. Tsang. (Eds.), Waste?derived Biochar for Sustainable Rural Revitalization, Wiley & Sons. pp. 425-454.
• Perera, L., Ramaswamy, M., Dissanayake, P.D., Yang, C. and Kalaipandian, S. (2024). Breeding and Genetics for Coconut Improvement. In: Adkins, S.W., Biddle, J.M., Bazrafshan, A., Kalaipandian,S. (Eds.) The Coconut: Botany, Production and Uses. CABI, UK. pp. 111-125.
• Dissanayake, P.D., Palansooriya, K.N., Withana, P.A., Senadeera, S.S., Samaraweera, H., Wang, S., Yuan, X., Masek, O., and Ok, Y.S. (2022). Engineered biochar as a potential adsorbent for carbon dioxide capture. In: Tsang, D.C.W., Ok, Y.S. (Eds.), Biochar in Agriculture for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Academic Press, London, United Kingdom. pp 345-359
• Dissanayake, P.D. and Perera, L. (2021). Emerging non-food applications in the coconut industry. In: Ghosh, P.K. (Ed.), The Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Nova Science Publishers, Inc. USA, pp 283-300.

Academic Services (Selected)

• Secretary, Board of Study in Soil Science, Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya (2025 to date)
• Secretary, Teaching Methodologies Committee, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya (2026 to date)
• Secretary, Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka (2024 to date)
• Senior Student Councillor, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya (2025)
• Reviewer of Peer Reviewed Journals [Selected Journals: Journal of Hazardous Materials (IF: 14.224), Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology (IF: 11.750), Biochar (IF: 11.452), Environmental Pollution (IF: 9.988), Chemosphere (IF: 8.943), Environmental Geochemistry and Health (IF: 5.411), Frontiers in Environmental Science (IF: 4.898), Journal of Soils and Sediments (IF: 3.536), Journal of Environment Quality (2.751)]

Organizing National/ International Conferences/ Events (Selected)

• Member of the International Organizing Committee, 8th Asia Pacific Biochar Conference, 13-15 October 2026, Gangnam, South Korea
• Member of the International Organizing Committee, ICOBTE and ICHMET 2025, 22-26 September 2025, Busan, South Korea
• Member of the Organizing Committee, World Soil Day Celebration Programs, Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka (2022 to 2025)
• Secretary, Sustainable Waste Management program organized by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) (2019-2021)
• Member of the Organizing Committee, 2nd Food Innovation & Engineering Conference (FOODIE Asia), 23-24 November 2020, Seoul, South Korea
• Member of the Local Organizing Committee, 20th International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment, 25-29 October 2020, FKI Tower, Seoul, South Korea
• Secretary, IBI Biochar World Congress 2019, 10-14 November 2019, Korea University, South Korea