JGC Holdings Develops "Mecolas®," Japan's First AI-Powered Asbestos Measurement Support System for Safe and Rapid Demolition of Asbestos-Containing Buildings
JGC Holdings Corporation announced that its energy and environmental consulting subsidiary, Japan NUS Co., Ltd. (JANUS), has developed "Mecolas®," Japan's first AI-powered support system for measuring airborne asbestos. This system uses AI to diagnose dust images during the demolition of asbestos-containing buildings, verifying the presence of asbestos dispersion, thereby streamlining operations and improving accuracy.
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- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 19:00
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JGC Holdings Corporation (Representative Director, Chairman and CEO: Masayuki Sato) is pleased to announce that Japan NUS Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and President: Kazuhiko Chikamoto, hereinafter "JANUS"), an energy and environmental consulting company within the JGC Group, has developed "Mecolas®"*1, Japan's first support system utilizing AI for measuring airborne asbestos. Mecolas® is used to confirm the presence or absence of asbestos dispersion through AI diagnosis of dust images during the demolition of asbestos-containing buildings, and is expected to reduce labor and improve accuracy.
*1) Mecolas® is a result of joint research by the National Institute for Environmental Studies (National Research and Development Agency) and Environmental Control Center Co., Ltd.
Although asbestos is currently prohibited from use in Japan, many buildings constructed with asbestos in the past remain. According to materials*2 from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the peak of demolition is predicted to occur around 2030. With the increase in demolition projects, the number of monitoring activities (confirming whether asbestos is actually dispersed during demolition), which are essential for preventing asbestos leakage, has also increased, leading to a growing need for rapid analysis.
*2) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Social Capital Development Council, Building Subcommittee, Asbestos Countermeasures Division (6th meeting) (2012) distributed materials
Monitoring for asbestos dispersion is conducted by examining dust collected on filters, based on the monitoring manual established by the Ministry of the Environment. This involves visually counting fibrous substances using a microscope. However, it takes approximately 25 to 100 minutes to examine one filter, and the accuracy and time required vary significantly depending on the experience level of the analyst. Improvements in this process have long been anticipated.
JANUS focused on reducing labor in analysis operations and improving judgment accuracy, which can be achieved by supporting the counting work of phase-contrast microscope images, leveraging its accumulated knowledge in chemical substance management and its AI image analysis technology. Mecolas® allows AI to read image data from a phase-contrast microscope, zoom in on fibrous substances, and accurately determine their length through AI detection. Furthermore, if fibrous substances overlap and their length cannot be counted, only those overlapping substances are displayed as unquantifiable. This eliminates confusion for the reviewer regarding the length of fibrous substances and prevents counting errors. The monitoring manual set by the Ministry of the Environment requires confirmation at four locations (four filters) for one demolition site, which traditionally took 100 to 400 minutes. With Mecolas®, this process is calculated to be completed in approximately 7 minutes.
JANUS aims to launch Mecolas® this summer, anticipating its use by asbestos inspection agencies, demolition companies, and construction companies. Flexible provision tailored to the introduction environment is envisioned, and pricing and specific terms of provision are currently under consideration. From 2027 onwards, a function will be added to allow real-time viewing of microscope camera images from microscope images.
JANUS is a company within the JGC Group responsible for technical consulting primarily in the energy and environmental fields, with four main business areas: environment, energy, safety/disaster prevention, and IT solutions. It provides consulting services such as surveys and evaluations of atmospheric, aquatic, and terrestrial environments, chemical substance management, climate change countermeasures and decarbonization consulting, technical support in the energy sector including nuclear power, and risk assessment and disaster prevention/exposure impact assessment. Furthermore, through IT solutions utilizing simulation technology and data analysis, it contributes to the advancement of social infrastructure and the realization of a sustainable society.
The JGC Group will continue to contribute to the realization of a sustainable "environmentally harmonious society" through proactive initiatives in these environmental fields.
Reference: Detailed data on AI detection reproducibility, etc.
National Institute for Environmental Studies Press Release