Participants at the Analytical Skills Development Course (ASDC) held in Helsinki
Participants in the laboratory
The two-week Analytical Skills Development Course at the Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (VERIFIN), co-organized with the OPCW with the in-kind support of the European Union, was concluded on 20 November 2015.
The participants in the course included chemistry professionals from industry, government, and academia who are involved in the analysis, synthesis, or quality control of chemicals.
The course consisted of two parts: the first one provided training and hands-on experience in sample preparation, with instruction in gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analytical techniques. The second part focused on the preparation of environmental samples and on how to use GC and GC-MS for the analysis of samples of chemicals related to the Convention. During this segment, participants were provided with intensive hands-on training in the handling of different sample matrices for subsequent analysis by GC with element-selective detectors and by GC-MS in electron ionisation and chemical-ionisation modes. The course also provided a networking opportunity for the participants as they worked closely together for the two weeks.
The training was much appreciated and well received by the participants. As Ms Irene Atuko Otworot from Uganda said, “I learnt a lot which has even changed my research area of interest as I fell in love with chemistry and principles behind the two instruments.”
Participants were from: Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Serbia, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.