Tokyo Institute of Technology

Environmental Report

2023【Digest Version】

President's Message

Amid the growing global warming and energy crisis, in 2020

technology.” We strive to develop talented people with an

the Japanese government declared its intention to become

emphasis on our environmental curriculums. Our initiatives

carbon neutral by 2050, and also announced that same year its

include producing highly competent individuals throughgoal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46 percent

enhanced educational and research activities, and we help

(compared to FY2013 levels) by FY2030. To realize thesesolve social problems by supplying the practical outcomes ofgoals, it is imperative to promote green transformation (GX)

our research to society. Through such eﬀorts, we contribute tomeasures aimed at reforming the entire socioeconomic systemsociety surrounding Tokyo Tech and to society as a whole, andto both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost industrial

share and realize a prosperous society of the future.

competitiveness.

Regarding environmental issues, we will tackle them in

On April 1, 2022, we at Tokyo Tech launched our Greenaccordance with our basic principle on environmental policy, inTransformation Initiative (Tokyo Tech GXI) to conduct researchwhich we see the problems as major challenges on a global

and development designed to identify and solve the challenges

scale that pose an existential threat to all of humanity. As such,of establishing sustainable energy systems. We are pursuing

we will help create a sustainable society by fulﬁlling ourthese initiatives with partners from industry, academia,

mission and role as a research and educational institution to

government, and local communities, as well as international

share the global environment with future generations. We will

research institutions. In addition, we are promoting initiatives

address various environmental issues in light of new education

designed to achieve carbon neutrality by accelerating energy

and research styles, and contribute to society through theresearch with the aim of creating an "ambient energy society"development of skilled individuals and our research activities.

that is both ecological and economical.

We compiled this report in accordance with the Ministry of

The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andthe Environment's environmental reporting guidelines, with aTechnology also designated Tokyo Tech as a Designatedfocus on our environmental performance. It summarizes our

National University Corporation (DNU) in March 2018. Our

environmental, safety and health activities in FY2022 in light of

DNU scheme consists of initiatives that were created to

the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"pioneer a new era through continuous dialogue with society
and the discovery of hidden possibilities in science andWe hope you will read this report and continue to support
Tokyo Tech activities.

Kazuya M asu

President, Tokyo Institute of Technology

1Tokyo Institute of Technology
Environmental Policy

Enacted January 13, 2006

Basic Principle
As we strive to become the worldʼs best science and engineering university, Tokyo Institute of Technology recognizes that environmental problems are notjust issues for certain regions. They are major challenges on a global scale that pose an existential threat to all of humanity. To ensure that future
generations have a viable global environment, Tokyo Tech will contribute to the creation of a sustainable society as it fulﬁlls its mission as a research andeducation institute.

Basic Policies
In accordance with the basic principle “To share the global environment with future generations,” Tokyo Tech will deal with the various problems facing theenvironment, based on the following policies, to create a twenty-ﬁrst century civilization in which the earth and humanity coexist harmoniously.
● Research Activities

We will further promote scientiﬁc and technological research that contributes to the creation of a sustainable society.

● Talent Development

To foster the creation of a sustainable society, we will develop talented individuals with high environmental awareness, a rich knowledge base,and the potential to become leaders in various ﬁelds.

● Social Contribution

We will contribute to Japan and the world through our research activities and talent development.

● Reduce Our Environmental Footprint

We will establish environmental goals, develop plans based on those goals, and execute those plans to minimize our impact on the environment.

● Environmental Management System

We will create an advanced environmental management system suitable for a world-leading science and engineering university,
implement it eﬀectively, and strive to continually improve it.

● Promote Environmental AwarenessWe will conduct environmental education and awareness-building activities that target every student and university employee, including executives,to increase their understanding of Tokyo Techʼs environmental policies, etc. and the environmental awareness of everyone associated with the university.

2

Scientiﬁc and Technological Research Contributing to the Environment
Exploring the Circulation of Greenhouse Gases

Interest in global warming has grown in recent years because in addition to

Atmosphericobservation

causing rising temperatures it also triggers extreme weather events. The
greenhouse gases that cause global warming include carbon dioxide (CO₂),methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Although these gases have been in theatmosphere in greater and lesser concentrations since ancient times, their

StratosphereOzone layer
depletion

Photochemicaldegradation
Concentration
analysis

Troposphere Global warming

Analysis andsimulation

Stable isotope
ratio analysis

concentrations have increased at a nearly constant rate over the last century,and human-generated emissions are thought to be primarily responsible.
However, human activity is not the only source of these gases; a variety of

Combustion exhaust gas

natural environments produce them as well. After being released into theSoil and river (microorganisms)

atmosphere, such gases can mix together, be transported far away, break down

Sewage treatment

Land observation

Farmland (nitrogen fertilizer)

Ocean
observationin the atmosphere, or be absorbed by water, plants and soil. On a global scale,
Ocean (microorganisms)

greenhouse gases circulate over time, all while changing form. So, how can we

Fig.1 Left: Sources of N 2O; right: Research methodologies

investigate the mechanisms of this circulation, and what changes may occur inthe future?

The ratio of stable isotopes (such as ¹²C and ¹³C in the case of carbon, and ¹⁴N
and ¹⁵N in the case of nitrogen) is nearly constant on Earth. When measured
precisely, however, we ﬁnd the ratio varies slightly depending on the substanceand how it was made or destroyed. The variation is incredibly minute, mostly
falling into the range of 0.00338 to 0.00424 in the case of ¹⁵N and ¹⁴N. We
collect air, water and soil samples from various locations and then determine
the stable isotope ratios of greenhouse gases in them.
Take the example of N₂O, which is not only a greenhouse gas but also
depletes the stratospheric ozone layer. As shown in Fig. 1, N₂O comes fromvarious sources, but we were able to identify several of them by measuring

Fig.2

N₂O concentrations(ppb)

measuring not just their concentration but their stable isotope ratios as well.

¹⁵N/¹⁴N (deviation from atmosphericN₂ value magniﬁed by 1000)

In our lab, we explore the circulation of greenhouse gases by precisely

Changes in atmospheric

N₂O concentrations andnitrogen isotope ratios

over time. (Concentrations
are taken from Nakazawa
et al., 2015, "Global

Environmental System,”
Kyoritsu Shuppan.)

Results of Antarctic snow
and ice analysis
Results of measurements
at Hateruma Island, Okinawa

their isotope ratios. We also discovered that ¹⁵N and ¹⁴N have been decreasing
as atmospheric N₂O concentrations have been increasing year on year (Fig.2).
The main reason for the increase is that microorganisms are making N₂O fromthe nitrogen fertilizers used in large quantities in agriculture and releasing it into
the atmosphere. We are also conducting research into how the production and

School of Materials and Chemical Technology
Department of Chemical Science and Engineering

absorption of greenhouse gases by microorganisms change as the Earth warms.

Associate Professor
Toyoda Lab HP

Sakae Toyoda

http://silab.cap.mac.titech.ac.jp/ toyoda/index.html

3Scientiﬁc and Technological Research Contributing to the Environment
Interdisciplinary Research Endeavor to Develop
Eco-Friendly Concrete That Is Recyclable

As a researcher, I specialize in energy conversion technology for fusion

suﬃcient strength and resistance to melting on usage environment. Alkali

reactors, which are a potential zero-carbon energy source. However, I had

metals such as sodium (Na) and lithium (Li) were considered unsuitable due

the opportunity to think about the issue of recycling civil engineering andto their overly low melting points and chemical reactivity with water, whichconstruction materials when I participated in Tokyo Tech Research Festival

cement contains in large amounts. As for heavy metals such as lead (Pb),2018. The Oﬃce of Research and Innovation of Tokyo Tech planned andalthough we expect that they can chemically coexist with cement due tohosted this event to accelerate the fusion of research ﬁelds. While there, I

their chemical stability, we believe their toxicity makes them unsuitable.

learned about the development of ﬁber-reinforced concrete (FRC), which

Thanks to the FY2019 Interdisciplinary Research Support for Scientists, I

combines concrete and ﬁber to improve the fracturing characteristics of

was able to form a research team including associate professor Nobuhiro

concrete. FRC is now used in various aspects of our daily lives. However, I

Chijiwa (who specializes in civil engineering materials) and assistantalso found out that while very strong and resistant to fracturing, FRC isprofessor Minho O (who specializes in metallic materials). We decided todiﬃcult to be recycled.

create a small test piece of LMPM FRC using tin (Sn), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al)Through conversations with experts in diﬀerent ﬁelds, we came up withand alloys thereof as our ﬁber reinforcements. We conducted bending tests

the unique idea of using the low-melting-point metals (LMPMs) Iʼm

to verify the basic functionality of the test piece (measuring just 40 mm x 40

researching as the ﬁbers that reinforce the cement and concrete matrix. The

mm x 160 mm).

concept of this LMPM ﬁber-reinforced concrete (LMPM FRC) is that the metal

As a result, we found that the LMPM ﬁber reinforcement added a certain

ﬁbers can be separated and recovered from a waste concrete matrix bylevel of durability compared to specimens without ﬁbers. We also found thatheating it to a temperature above the melting point of the ﬁbers after

the hot molten metal ﬁbers do not chemically react with the cement matrix,

minimal pulverization (Fig. 1). That makes this an eco-friendly resource thatand that the molten ﬁbers move as a liquid out of the narrow gaps in thecan be reused instead of becoming waste.

matrix. We will continue to develop LMPM FRC with improved recyclability

The material characteristics that the reinforcing ﬁbers must possess areto help achieve a more sustainable society.

Realization of a recycling society
Pure (recyclable) cement resource
Fusible(low melting point)
metal ﬁbers

Used concrete waste(tens of millions of tons)

Separation andrecovery of molten
metal ﬁbers
Chemicalcompatibility ofmaterials

Fig.1 Concept of fusible metal ﬁber-reinforced concrete

Institute of Innovative ResearchLaboratory for Zero-Carbon Energy
Associate Professor

Masatoshi Kondo

Kondo Lab HP http://www.lane.iir.titech.ac.jp/ ~kondo.masatoshi /index.html

4Sakae Toyoda ●Associate Professor ●Associate Professor

Q 1. What inspired you to begin researching this ﬁeld?

ScientiﬁcandTechnologicalResearch

Analyzing CFC gases in the laboratory as a student. While theconcentration of ozone-depleting CFC gases is decreasing due
to joint international eﬀorts, that of greenhouse gases only
continues to increase. I wanted to address the environmental
issues caused by invisible gases.

Q2. How do you conduct air and water observations
and soil sampling?

With the help of many people from other universities andinstitutes. We collect air in glass ﬂasks at places such as remoteislands in Okinawa and at Showa Station in Antarctica. We alsouse balloons to collect air from 30 km aboveground. River
water and seawater is collected at various depths using boats
and other means, and we measure the dissolved gases. We
collect gases in the soil by placing a box over the surface orinserting a tube in the soil.

Q A

and the greenhouse eﬀect?

The “greenhouse eﬀect” refers to phenomena in which CO2,
water vapor and other certain substances in the air absorb
infrared rays emitted from the Earthʼs surface, which warms theair. Without the greenhouse eﬀect, the average temperaturenear the Earthʼs surface would be about -18°C. However, if theconcentration of greenhouse gases increases due to humanactivities or other causes, the air temperature will also increase,causing global warming. We cannot aﬀord to ignore global
warming, since it can signiﬁcantly change the climate and cause
sea levels to rise, among other eﬀects.

I encourage you to value simple questions like
“What is this?” and “Why does this happen?” and to deepen

Q2. How did this unique idea of using low-melting-point

Q3. As you continue to research and develop fusible metal

environmental issues, SDGs initiatives and so on?
Substances that humans release into the environment, even inminute quantities, can have a major impact. Iʼd like to continue
my research into the state of trace gases and other substances
through careful observation of air, water and soil.

I was studying liquid metals with the intent of using them as
coolants (ﬂuids that carry heat) in fast reactors and fusion
reactors. However, I realized they had new possibilities. I
wondered whether they could be applied to an entirely
diﬀerent ﬁeld. Participating in Tokyo Tech Research Festival
2018 led me to research their application as civil construction
materials. This was exciting, because I had not anticipated using
liquid metals to develop technologies for the civil engineeringﬁeld.

Low-melting-point metals are mostly used in a liquid state.
However, this research began when we considered also using
them a solid state. Concrete reinforced with low-melting-point
metal ﬁbers can be easily crushed by raising the temperatureand melting the ﬁbers to separate them and recover them inliquid form. This is the birth of a new civil engineering andconstruction material designed with post-use recycling in mind.

Contributing
to theEnvironment

Q4. What are your aspirations regarding

Q 1. What inspired you to begin researching this ﬁeld?

metals as reinforcing ﬁbers come about?

&

Q3. What is the diﬀerence between global warming

Masatoshi Kondo

ﬁber-reinforced concrete, what are some of the challengesof putting the technology to practical use?
The ﬁrst is strength. We wish concrete reinforced by
low-melting-point metal ﬁbers to be as durable as possible.
Next is the ease of separation and collection. After use, wewant to recover just the low-melting-point metals from theconcrete in liquid form, without any contamination. We aredeveloping low-melting-point metal ﬁbers that satisfy both
requirements.

Q4. What are your aspirations regarding

environmental issues, SDGs initiatives and so on?

What is your message toaspiring researchers currently
in junior or senior high school?

Our eﬀorts to address environmental issues and the SDGs have
implications not only for society today, but also for the societyof the next generation. I want to keep doing research on many
new technologies with an eye on the future.

Internet technology has developed greatly since
I was in junior and senior high. Now we can communicate smoothly

your knowledge by conducting research and consulting with otherswith people in distant locations via the Internet.

as your interests dictate. As a researcher, you can devote yourself

In a society that has developed such IT, I hope youʼll become a researcher

fully to what you love.

who can help people in need around the world.
5

Environmental Education and Human Resource Development
Example of an Graduate Course
Undergraduate major in Chemistry

Geochemistry

Institute of Innovative ResearchMultidisciplinary Resilience Research Center
Associate Professor

Akihiko Terada

convey the signiﬁcance and academic pleasure of thinking about natural phenomena from a

Geochemistry covers an extremely broad range of subjects. This course, however, focuseschemical perspective.

on volcanic eruptions (Fig.1) because Tokyo Tech has an unique research facility̶the

While volcanoes provide us with beneﬁts such as hot springs and beautiful landscapes

Kusatsu-Shirane Volcano Observatory.
As the name suggests, the observatory has an observation facility (Fig.2) at Mount(Fig.4), they are also dangerous, sometimes taking human lives (Fig.5). For this reason,

Kusatsu-Shirane̶a volcano made famous by the Kusatsu hot springs̶where it conducts

society has high expectations for volcanological research. Students also learn about various

observations around the clock. The facilityʼs staﬀ have also taken samples and various

problems researchers may face when attempting to use scientiﬁc ﬁndings for the beneﬁt ofmeasurements on foot all over the volcano for almost four decades (Fig.3).

society, including anecdotes about diﬃculties that I have faced in the ﬁeld.

In this course, we draw upon the experience and knowledge gained at the observatory to

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Mt. Kusatsu-Shirane emitting a plume of
volcanic gas and ash (1983).

Seismic station operated by
Kusatsu-Shirane Volcano Observatory, Tokyo Tech.

Sampling volcanic gas at Mt. Kusatsu-Shirane.

Fig. 5
Fig. 4This beautiful crater lake isclose to tourist facilities andis easy for people to access.

A survey of the new crater
formed by the January 23,
2018 eruption̶volcanic
ejecta from this crater
resulted in twelve casualties.

6

Environmental Education and Human Resource Development
Example of an Graduate Course

Science of Metabolism

Graduate major in Life Science and Technology
School of Life Science and Technology
Department of Life Science and Technology
Associate Professor

Takashi Hirasawa

Humans and other animals as well as plants and microorganisms sense

environments, as well as how the metabolic process is involved in medicine andchanges in environments, including alterations in temperature, sunlight andpromotion of health. The course introduces the research results of thesalinity, and adapt their behavior to survive in changed environments. When

instructors as well.

organisms adapt to such environments, cells obtain energy to live from

Furthermore, certain microorganisms can use their metabolic processes tocarbohydrates and produce cellular components using obtained energy such as

produce substances that are useful in our daily life. It is also possible toamino acids and nucleic acids. These biochemical reactions in which cells

degrade environmental pollutants using metabolic functions in microorganisms.

obtain energy and produce cellular componetnts is called “metabolism.”

In the lectures, the instructors explain the role of microbial metabolism in

The Science of Metabolism course focuses on this process. It outlines how
individual animals and cells respond and adapt to changes in external

production of useful substances and the decomposition of environmental
pollutants.

Environmental
Adaptation
Mammalian metabolism
and its relationship toorgans and diseases

MedicalApplications
Understanding themetabolism of iPS cells
and its application to
the medical ﬁeld

Science of Metabolism

Students gain knowledge about responses of organisms toenvironmental changes and disease in organisms. They also learn
application of such knowledge to the ﬁelds of engineering andmedicine from the perspective of metabolism.

Analysis andimprovement ofintestinal microﬂora

HealthPromotion

Using microorganisms to produce

biofuels and otheruseful materials

Engineering Applications
and Bioproduction
7

Social Contribution Activities
P ro jec t Vision 2022: R e t h i n k i n g t h e C o n t a c t L e n s B l i s t e r P a c k

We at the Nohara Lab conducted a one-year project in collaboration
with CooperVision Japan Inc. During the ﬁrst half of this project, we
conducted an academic study on contact lenses and their containers(blister packs) through literature reviews, surveys and other means.
During the second half, each student in the lab created a work thatposes questions to society through design and artistic expression. We
held a three-day exhibition (March 3-5, 2023) of the works along with atalk event at Shibuya QWS to present the results of our project.
The contact lenses we use daily cause a variety of environmental
problems. For example, when a used contact lens is ﬂushed down aContact lens packaging and containers

Microplastics on the beachdrain or toilet, it breaks into smaller pieces but does not decompose.
Contact lenses end up being carried out into the ocean as microplastics,
where they pollute the marine environment.
Blister packs, on the other hand, are made of a plastic called polypropylene, and can be recycled as pure plastic waste because they havenot been dyed with ink or otherwise treated with chemicals. However,research shows that their recycling rate is just 1 percent, with mostbeing thrown away as garbage. Environmental issues such as this involve?

235
Respondents

How do you dispose ofblister packs?
Through a survey, we ﬁnd out
how people are disposing ofcontact lens containers.

165

200
150
100
50
0

Discard as
burnable trashscientiﬁc, engineering, social and many other factors. It is vital to have an

Discard asplastic waste

18

2Collect themfor a time andtake tocollection box

Othe

overarching understanding of these factors before trying to solve theroot causes.
At the Nohara Lab, we consider language as well as things like art,
design, materials and systems as symbols that could convey ourthoughts. Every day, we conduct research with the aim of sending out
new messages to society through the creative interpretation and transformation of these symbols.
During this project, we worked on "interpreting" issues related to contact lenses. More speciﬁcally, we asked ourselves: How can we encourage contact lens users to act sustainably? From this general question,
each student generated new questions by transforming data into something other than numbers, reinterpreting linguistic aspects of the problem, and so on. These questions led to ideas for our works.
Exhibition
8

Social Contribution Activities
P ro jec t Vision 2022: R e t h i n k i n g t h e C o n t a c t L e n s B l i s t e r P a c k

I would like to introduce a few of our works, and explain the thought process and themessage that accompany each.
For example, the work entitled “The Wall of Nine Percent” asks: Do numbers that feel real
to you positively change your behavior? as a starting point. From there, we created a gamethat enables people to understand that according to a research ﬁnding the worldwide
recycling rate of plastic waste was just 9 percent in 2019.
I think the reality is that environmental issues donʼt feel real to us in most cases, since wecannot imagine how they are connected to our own lives. This work turns the tiny numberof 9 percent into a game that anyone can play. We were happy to provide this opportunity
to gain new insights through this type of interpretation, which actually led to discussions
with visitors.
The piece entitled “The Price of Daily Behavior” also starts with a question: What is the“The Wall of Nine Percent” (Artists: Tezuka, Uchino)

cost to the environment for what contact lens users casually do on a daily basis? Wecreated a scale in which you see empty contact lens containers (blister packs) withaluminum lids still attached to them hanging at right, and ﬁsh and jellyﬁsh that represent theenvironment hanging at left. This scale transmits the movement of one side to the other.
The ﬁrst thing you must do when recycling contact lens containers is to pull the aluminum
lid oﬀ of the blister pack; do you always do this, or not? If not, that means you are imposing
a large cost on the environment. In other words, the simple act of not pulling oﬀ thealuminum lid eliminates the possibility of recycling that plastic later, and plastics discarded
as burnable trash have a negative impact on the environment.
Our goal was to have people look at their everyday behaviors they unconsciously engage
in and think about those behaviors in a diﬀerent way. Put diﬀerently, we wanted to interpret
our everyday actions and present them as a new way of looking at things.

“The Price of Daily Behavior” (Artists: Tezuka, Chia)

This work, too, inspired visitors and people involved in the project to think aboutsustainable attitudes. I truly felt that the constructive discussions and consideration such
eﬀorts sparked have generated real value. The exhibition was a great success, andCooperVision Japan presented awards for the best works.
There were many more works displayed at the exhibit, so please check out the Nohara
Lab and project websites.
School of Environment and Society
Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
Nohara Lab 1st-year master's student

Daichi Tezuka

ProjectUR L：https://x.gd/YxXaF
9

Social Contribution Activities
T o k yo Tec h VG Environm ental Conservat i on A c t i v i t i es

The Tokyo Tech VG focuses on three main areas: revitalization support, disaster preparedness activities, and community collaboration. In the area of community
collaboration, we work to achieve the SDGs primarily through cleanup activities. Here are a few examples:
Activity

1

Activity

Midori Santa Project2

We participated in the Midori Santa Project in December
2022. Yokohama Cityʼs Midori Ward organized this event forelementary school students. We participated because Tokyo
Techʼs Suzukakedai Campus is located in the ward. The event
took place in Tokaichiba, where we picked up trash aroundthe station with local elementary school students. After thecleanup activity, we gave the students a presentation about
the environment. They listened intently to our study on
recycling. We were impressed by their interest in andknowledge about recycling.
Picking up trash withelementary school students

Presentation on recycling

Campus Cleanup

In March 2023, we conducted a campus cleanup, picking up garbage at the Tokyo Tech
Ookayama Campus from Taki Plaza to the gymnasium.
While most areas we normally go past were generally clean, there was a lot of trash inplaces that are harder to see, such as behind buildings, trash cans and hedges. We ﬁgure thatthe people who left the trash there felt guilty about it. There is a need to install trash cans inappropriate locations. Students also need to bring along something to take their trash home inwhen there are no trash cans.
Campus cleanups have been done since before the last academic year, and we saw thateven some areas that had a lot of trash last year had none this year, and vice versa. We
believe that when someone has littered somewhere, it encourages others to do the same.

Garbage left behind a building
VG members
who participatedin the campus
cleanupEveryone knows that recycling is essential and that littering is not allowed. That said, I believe only a limited number of people actuallyfollow the rules. When it comes to environmental conservation, however, the cumulative eﬀect of small actions can make big changes.
AY2022 was a year in which we started carrying out activities in the ﬁeld again. It reminded us that actually doing work with our hands,
whether itʼs a cleanup or anything else, is the most crucial part of contributing to the community as a volunteer group.

School of Environment and Society
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Kanae Lab

1st-year master's student

Aoi Matsunaga

10Social Contribution Activities
Initiative on Possible Tropical and Subtropical Infectious Disease Epidemics Due to Global Warming:International Synthetic Biology Competition for Undergraduates

iGEM TokyoTech ProjectDue to global warming, the average temperature in Japan is on a

There is a need to know which types of dengue virus
you have been infected with before.

long-term upward trend, increasing at a rate of 1.15°C per century[1]. If
global warming continues unabated, the proportion of subtropical areasin Japan̶which has a long north-south axis̶is expected to expand.

If you are infected with one of the four types of dengue
fever, and then contract another type, there is a highpossibility of developing serious symptoms.

Insects such as mosquitoes that live in tropical and subtropical areas
are also expected to move northward, causing the infectious diseases
they carry to become more prevalent in Japan (Fig.1).
Of these infectious diseases, dengue fever is one with a particularly
large number of cases. This disease causes symptoms such as highfever, headache, and in severe cases, bleeding. With a domestic
outbreak conﬁrmed in 2014, it is the biggest infectious disease threat at
the moment. There are four types (strains) of dengue viruses that cause
dengue fever, and subsequent infection with diﬀerent strains reportedly
causes severe symptoms. For this reason, if someone is infected with

Dengue fever

Global warming causes tropicaldisease-carrying mosquitoes to move north!?

Dengue fever could become
prevalent in Japan!

dengue fever, it is essential to identify which strains they have been

Dengue virus is transmitted bymosquitoes that live in tropicaland subtropical areas.

Fig.1: Eﬀects of global warming

infected with in the past (infection history). To that end, iGEM
TokyoTech is developing a test for identifying which strains of dengue
virus a person has been infected with (Fig.2).

The new kit provides quicker and safer
tests than conventional methods.

The test allows for safer and more eﬃcient testing than existing
methods, and also makes it possible to make early preparations forcases that could develop severe symptoms. This suggests the method

Collect
serum

could make a signiﬁcant contribution to ﬁghting dengue pandemics.
References: [1] Japan Meteorological Agency, 2012: Climate Change
Monitoring Report 2011

iGEM TokyoTech

iGEM TokyoTech is an oﬃcial student group that participates in
iGEM, the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition,with the goal of applying molecular biology techniques to contributeto society. It holds the world record for the number of consecutive
gold awards at iGEM.

Patient

New simple test kit proposedby iGEM TokyoTech

Existing kits
cannot determine
the type of virus.

The test tells you which type of virus
you have been infected with.

・Evaluating vaccine eﬃcacy
・Data collection for pharmaceuticals
・Large-scale epidemiological studies

This is a major contribution to
pandemic preparedness!
Fig.2: iGEM TokyoTech initiative

School of Life Science and Technology
Department of Life Science and Technology

Second-Year Undergraduate

Yuki Oheda

11

Environmental Performance
M a terial Balanc es

Tokyo Techʼs activities consume a great deal of energy and a wide range of materials. Most of the energy we consume is in the form of electricity andgas. The primary materials we use are chemical substances, paper, and water. While we need to use these to conduct our cutting-edge education/talentdevelopment activities and research activities, weʼre also engaged in minimizing the environmental footprint of our operations.
We have summarized our FY2022 inputs (resource and energy used) and outputs (environmental emissions) as the material ﬂow shown below.

INPUT

OU T PU T
Atmospheric
Emissions

EnergyMain Activities of the University●

Purchased Electricity（1,000 kWh）
67,188●City Gas（1,000 ㎥）

349●

Fuel Oil（kl）

0.84

Gasoline（kl）

0.3

●

Waste

Education

Research

Material

Water
Discharged●

Greenhouse Gas Emissions（t-CO2）
31,316●

Purchased Electricity（t-CO2）30,404●

Fossil Fuels（t-CO2）

783●

Water and Sewage（t-CO2）

129●

General Waste（t）

161●

Industrial Waste（t）

589

●

●

Total Sewage Discharged（1,000㎥）
189.6
Pollutant Emissions
BOD（t）
Nitrogen（t）●

Chemical Substances（t）

95.3

●

PRTR-related Substances（t）

42.2

●

Paper（t）

28.5●

Water（1,000㎥）

183.7

16.6
8.9

Phosphorus（t）0.8

Outreach

GlobalRESYCLE●

Paper（t）

237●

Other Recycled Materials（t）

395●

Graywater Reuse（1,000㎥）

4312

Environmental Performance
Initiatives to Minimize the Environmental Impact of Chemical Substances

An Overview of Chemical Substance Management at Tokyo Tech
Tokyo Tech is a science and technology university, and around 500 of its 700 laboratories keep chemical substances on hand. The chemical substancesthese labs use are extremely diverse, both by type and usage, with most only being employed in small quantities.
Since our labs are conducting cutting-edge research, the types and quantities of chemicals they use are changing constantly and radically. For this reason,labs use the chemical substance management support system to register every bottle of every chemical substance using IDs and manage the inventory ofchemical substances in their possession (type, amount, storage location, amount used, etc.). The systemʼs chemical information database (chemical master)
contains data on approximately 720,000 chemicals provided by both manufacturers and users, around 20,000 of which are registered as inventory.
The total amount of chemicals used in our laboratories per year is approximately 30,000 to 40,000 bottles. This system makes it possible to monitor
usage trends of PRTR chemicals, the amount used, and other information. We conduct annual seminars on chemical substance management for faculty, staﬀ
and students to enhance their understanding of how Tokyo Tech is reducing its environmental impact.

Outline of the Chemical Substance Management Support System◆ Chemical Inventory Management→Labs autonomously manage the life cycle of their chemicals with the IASO R6 system.
Registration of incoming chemicals

Experiment

Registration of empty
chemical bottles

Inventories are managed by aﬃxing an IASO barcode（ID）
on individual chemicals and registering them in the system.

U se

Empty bottle

Once a bottle is empty,
it is registered as an
empty bottlein the system.

◆ Laboratory Liquid/Solid Waste Disposal Management→Labs request the disposal of their liquid and solid waste through the Laboratory Liquid/Solid
Waste Disposal Application System.
Management of Laboratory Waste

ExperimentLiquid/Solid Waste

・ Waste liquid tanks are managedwith barcode tags.
・ Storage records for liquid
waste are prepared.

BarcodeTag

DisposalFiling a Laboratory Waste
Disposal Request
Labs ﬁle disposal requests for thetype and amount of laboratory
waste in question.

Chemical safety workshop materials

13

Environmental Performance
Initiatives to Minimize the Environmental Impact of Chemical Substances

Data on Results of Environmental Initiatives

Laboratory wastes contain a wide variety of chemical substances. Therefore, we treat them appropriately according to their properties.
In addition, we prioritize heat recovery during incineration and the recycling of residual materials when carrying out the disposal process, and we carefully
select contractors.

Waste Reagents and Samples

Solid Laboratory Waste

The disposal of waste reagents and waste samples involves outsourcing the

Solid laboratory waste is disposed of as industrial waste, and undergoes

organic and inorganic portions to specialized contractors for incineration and wet

incineration and melting processes. The residual waste slag produced is reusedprocessing, respectively. With the partial introduction of charging of disposal

as soil conditioner, etc. The glass material in laboratory waste, such as empty

costs starting in the ﬁscal year 2019, the generation of waste materials from FY

reagent bottles, is an important additive that turns the processed waste into slag.

2019 onwards has decreased at each campus compared to FY 2018.
inorganicorganic( kg ）Classiﬁcation C(Pseudo-infectious)
Classiﬁcation B(glassware･column)
Classiﬁcation A(waste･ﬁlter paper･chip)

(t）

2000

60

50
1500
40

880
amountgeneratedamountgenerated

1000

30

1.9
1 1.7

500

0

1.6

20

238
865
500

8.9
9.3

416
70

204
171
97

323

0
115
98

275

10

19
0
35

248

32
45

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

FY 2018

FY 201 9FY 2020

FY 202 1

FY 2022

0

19.2

11.9
9.4

8.8
1.4

9.8

1.5

6.7

10.2

19.5

19.3

9.8

1 1.3
1.2

9.9

1 1.3

8.1
18.9

23

18.9

25.8

14.4

25.9

19.5

25.8

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

Ookayama ／ Suzukakedai

FY 2018

FY 201 9FY 2020

FY 202 1

FY 2022

14

Editorial Note

This year's Tokyo Tech Environmental Report has undergone a major change fromprevious years. Since the year before last, we have worked to generate a report that isboth easy and interesting to read. This year, we thought we should also clarify our target
audience. We decided to assume that our readers would be junior high and high school
students. With that in mind, we tried to use less text and more graphics, and to make thegraphics both interesting and easy to understand.
Since June 5 is UN World Environment Day, Tokyo Tech has made June its Environment
Month, and we have been doing a special Environment Month presentation (p. 11) every
June. The event is cohosted by the Tokyo Tech Environmental Report Preparation Working
Group in cooperation with Ota and Meguro cities. This year we decided to also set aside
time for a talk session by the presenter and me, the chair of the Working Group.
While it may sound like self-praise, I believe the session has been well-received, sincelistening to in-depth discussions of the topics covered through our dialogues has deepened
participantsʼ understanding of the presentation. The Special Environmental Month Lecture
and the Tokyo Tech Environmental Report, however, are only eﬀective if a large number ofpeople attend or read them, so we believe the next step is to publicize them better.
Finally, Iʼd like to thank everyone involved in the preparation of this report. Iʼm sorry forasking for so many rewrites, considering the goals I mentioned earlier. Despite making “uselots of graphics” our motto, this editorial note ended up as just text. Its incompleteness isdue to my inability to remain thorough. Next yearʼs Environmental Report will be our lastas Tokyo Tech, by the way. I promise to do my best on the editorial notes for the coming[Contact Us]
National University Corporation Tokyo Institute of Technology
Environmental Report 2023 Preparation Working Group
Environmental Report Preparation Oﬃce
2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550
Tel: 03-5734-3407
Email: kankyouhoukoku@jim.titech.ac.jp

report.
If you do read this report, we would appreciate your feedback.

●About the Cover
The blue and green represent the Earth, and the cover also features aswallow̶the symbol of Tokyo Tech̶imagined as ﬂying toward thesustainable society that will deliver us a shining future. It conveys our hopeof restoring the global environment to good health.

September 2023
Environmental Report 2023 Preparation Working Group Chair

Yo-ichi Tagawa

Published November 2023

© Tokyo Institute of Technology

Environmental Report 2023 Preparation Working Group15