About the research field of Air Pollution and your Laboratory.
Our “Air Pollution Lab” strives to connect science to air quality decision-making. Specifically, we aim to mitigate air pollution exposures and improve social equity of air pollution. Ultimately, our research goal is to alleviate health outcomes associated with air pollution. Our lab conducts research in several key areas: (1) Human exposure assessment of air pollution and health impacts associated with air pollution exposures, (2) Exposure assessment using geospatial modeling (incorporating statistics and machine learning) and satellite remote sensing data, (3) Data-driven strategies to inform air quality decision-making and environmental justice, and (4) Source identification of climate pollutants, particularly a short-lived ones, such as methane, using high-resolution satellite imagery.
About how you became involved in the field of Air Pollution.
Ambient air pollution is the top environmental risk factor for human mortality worldwide. When I decided to pursue a career in the field of air pollution, particle air pollution was serious in many parts of the world, including South Korea. There was a pressing need for the development of effective mitigation strategies to address particle air pollution and air pollution more generally. Everyone is exposed to air pollution every second. Exposure to air pollution is unavoidable and not a matter of our choice. To minimize the health risks associated with air pollution, effective air quality management is critical. I wanted to devote myself to the field to develop more advanced monitoring and analytical approaches and therefore contribute to effective air quality decision-making. Another appealing aspect of the air pollution field is its multidisciplinary nature. Air pollution researchers’ backgrounds are very diverse, including environmental science/engineering, chemistry, physics, statistics, computer science, among others. I believe that synergistic collaboration with talented researchers with diverse backgrounds will contribute to the mitigation of air pollution and therefore the protection of human health.
About your recent research on the health impacts of PM2.5 air pollution and the projected rise in premature deaths.
We have recently published a study that investigated the health impacts of particle air pollution (PM2.5) and projected a substantial increase in PM2.5-related premature death due to rapid population aging in South Korea for 2020-2050. This study found that we need to reduce ambient PM2.5 concentrations to the concentration level below PM2.5 air quality standards to at least retain current levels of premature mortality associated with PM2.5 air pollution.
Health outcomes are determined by a combination of air pollution exposures and the vulnerability of populations exposed to air pollution, and age is one of the most important factors in determinig vulnerability. In particular, the elderly are more vulnerable to health outcomes associated with air pollution exposures. In South Korea, we are experiencing rapid population aging, which means vulnerable populations are increasing over time. However, air control agencies have focused on reducing air pollutant concentrations to meet air quality standards, while the population vulnerability has been often ignored. This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating population vulnerability with air quality management.
About your current research and the ultimate goals you hope to achieve.
Our research group is currently developing a platform to identify air pollution hotspots and support air pollution control strategies using satellite remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI). Satellite technologies have substantially advanced in the last few decades. Numerous polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites are in operation across the globe, providing valuable data on air pollution. Along with improving satellite data quality, AI-based analytical technologies have created an ideal environment to develop such advanced platforms to obtain near-real-time air quality information, alert the public on bad air pollution, and thus protect public health from air pollution exposures.
Air pollution is both a local and a global issue. Average air quality has improved in many parts of the world. However, air quality has not improved equally. There are still many local areas or countries suffering from bad air quality. My research aims to improve air quality in these disproportionately impacting areas by developing state-of-the-art data-driven mitigation approaches. In many cases, these areas consist of a large proportion of socially vulnerable populations. Even with the same exposure to air pollution, health outcomes associated with the exposure may be different because of the population vulnerability, which is linked to socioeconomic factors. I hope my research delivers risk-based solutions to improve the equities of air pollution exposures and health outcomes.
To POSTECH students
Keep an open mind. Think globally.
The boundaries of research fields are blurring, and multidisciplinary research is strongly valued in scientific communities. Ideas confined to a single field tend to be limited. You can substantially broaden your scope of thinking through diverse experiences working with others in the world. With the experience, you will find yourself pioneering research that has not been previously explored.
