In October 2024, ACAP, serving as the Network Center (NC) for the EANET successfully concluded both the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Project’s Annual Meeting and Training at the Center for Environmental Science in Saitama (CESS), Japan. The NC for the EANET is implementing the Project Capacity Building in Promoting VOCs in the EANET, approved by the Twenty-fifth Intergovernmental Meeting (IG25) in 2023, with the financial support of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ).
EANET VOC Annual Meeting Reviews Progress and Discusses Plans for 2025
The VOCs Annual Meeting took place at the Center for Environmental Science in Saitama (CESS), in Saitama, Japan, on October 22nd and 23rd 2024 and gathered the VOCs Advisory Group members as well as members from the Participating Countries including Cambodia, China, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam, responsible for overseeing this project. The goal of the meeting was to review the progress to date and develop a detailed plan for 2025 focusing mainly on monitoring methods, sites, and timing.
The Annual Meeting was conducted both in-person at CESS and online. Opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Mitsuo Uematsu, President of CESS, and Dr. Toshimasa Ohara, Director General of the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP), moderated by Dr. Meihua Zhu, Chief Senior Researcher of the Planning and Training Department of ACAP. Each Participating Country shared their project progress in 2024 and their monitoring and related capacity building plan. During the meeting, Dr. Soo Ran Won, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, gave a special talk entitled: a Research Introduction on the “First measurement report for Volatile Organic Compounds’ characteristics during winter in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia”. During the Annual Meeting, participants reviewed the progress of the project’s activities in 2024, and discussed the activity plan for 2025.
On the second day, on October 23rd, a site survey of an VOCs’ instrument manufacturer was conducted at GL Sciences, Saitama prefecture, Japan. The site survey included an introduction to GL Sciences and to their support system, air analysis instruments, and related products. It also consisted of a laboratory tour and presentation of various equipments’ usage such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with canister concentrator, GC-MS with thermal desorption, sampling and related tools, and air sampler for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
Highlights of the Training – VOCs Monitoring and Measurement
The Training Program for VOCs Monitoring and Measurement was held at the CESS in Saitama, Japan, from October 21st to 25th 2024. To conduct the training in a cost- and time-efficient manner, online lectures were provided to the trainees prior to the hands-on training in Japan. The proposed curriculum for online training consisted of three parts: a background introduction to VOCs, an introduction to VOCs’ monitoring methodologies, and an introduction to case studies on VOCs’ monitoring. Five participants from Cambodia, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam, in charge of VOCs monitoring and lab work and part of EANET VOCs project, participated to the training. The VOCs Advisory Group members, CESS, and the NC actively provided support.
On the first two days, Mr. Kouki Sasaka, Group Reader, Atmospheric Environment Group, CESS, and Dr. Yujiro Ichikawa, Researcher, Atmospheric Environment Group, CESS, provided lectures on canister and flow controller including on canister cleaning, flow controller cleaning and flow adjustment, canister sampling, dilutor, preparation of standard gas, pre-concentrator and GC/MS. From October 24 to the afternoon of the 25th, a representative from Nishikawa Keisoku Co., Ltd. presented a lecture on standard and sample measurement (Preconcentrator-GC/MS), data analysis, and the daily maintenance of GC/MS. In the afternoon of October 25, a lecture on air sampling pumps, sorbent tubes (both active and passive), and Low-Cost Sensors was shared by a representative of Sibata Scientific Technology Ltd. During the closing session, Dr. Akio Imai, Research Director at the CESS presented the completion certificate to the trainees on behalf of the program organizers.
The successful conclusion of the VOCs Project’s Annual Meeting and Training in 2024 strengthens EANET countries’ capacity to monitor and manage VOC emissions. Through collaboration, hands-on training, and advanced monitoring technologies, the initiative sets a solid foundation for improving air quality monitoring in the region.
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More details on the EANET website.