“As we can see from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome(MERS) which was recently a major public concern, problems like air pollution are closely related to our health,” said Kim Ki-hyun, a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Hanyang University(HYU).
   On July 2, Kim’s report titled, “Bad attributes from Samgyeopsal, three-layered pork” was awarded as the best paper in the “Korea Science and Technology Annual Meeting 2015.” As he is interested in atmospheric pollution, involving water and air, Kim has been both interested in and anxious about the harmful substances that exist in the air. He selected samgyeopsal as the subject of his research in order to explain the harmful substance that are released when roasting this delicacy.
Kim said he is constantly thinking about ways people can protect the environment and how environmental problems can be resolved. He found that the most detrimental for people’s health is linked with our atmospheric environment and things that are negatively affecting it such as smoking. Kim said, “The food we eat is also linked to pollution, and the most representative example is samgyeopsal. While it is important that people eat delicious food whenever they want, proper preparation and disposal are also important. Food is a means for survival, but it can also be harmful to our health.”
   One of the topics Kim is working on is the problem of cattle sheds. He concerns that people suffer from ill-smelling night-soil in cattle sheds caused by the manure from the cows, and thus he is trying to find the way to reduce the odor. In addition, he is paying attention to the relationship between the environment and electronic cigarettes. Kim explained, “Many people who use electronic cigarettes commonly misunderstand that there are no cancer-causing agents. This is misconception which is caused by false or misleading advertisements. Most people are under an illusion.”
   In terms of the future, his ultimate goal is to develop advanced respiratory techniques. He hopes to develop a skill that enables him to diagnose a patient’s physical condition by checking their breathing. “I always get ideas for my research from daily life. I think about what kind of problems people have in everyday life. Samgyeopsal, cattle sheds, and electronic cigarettes are examples that are closely connected to our health. I hope that more people will get interested in their surrounding environments,” added Kim.
 
 
 
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