Study of an intrinsically safe infrastructure for training and research on nuclear technologies

Within European Partitioning & Transmutation research programs, infrastructures specifically dedicated to the study of fundamental reactor physics and engineering parameters of future fast-neutron-based reactors are very important, being some of these features not available in present zero-power prototypes. This presentation will illustrate the conceptual design of an Accelerator-Driven System with high safety standards, but ample flexibility for measurements. The design assumes as base option a 70MeV, 0.75mA proton cyclotron, as the one which will be installed at the INFN National Laboratory in Legnaro, Italy and a Beryllium target, with Helium gas as core coolant. Safety is guaranteed by limiting the thermal power to 200 kW, with a neutron multiplication coefficient around 0.94, loading the core with fuel containing Uranium enriched at 20% inserted in a solid-lead diffuser. The small decay heat can be passively removed by thermal radiation from the vessel. Such a system could be used to study, among others, some specific aspects of neutron diffusion in lead, beam-core coupling, target cooling and could serve as a training facility

Biochemical and molecular biomarkers and their association with anthropogenic chemicals in wintering Manx shearwaters (Puffinus puffinus)

Anthropogenic pollution poses a threat to marine conservation by causing chronic toxic effects. Seabirds have contact throughout their lives with pollutants like plastic, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides such as hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs). We assessed 155 Manx shearwaters (Puffinus puffinus) stranded along the Brazilian coast, analyzing associations between organic pollutants, plastic ingestion, biomarkers (transcript levels of aryl hydrocarbon receptor, cytochrome P450-1A-5 [CYP1A5), UDP-glucuronosyl-transferase (UGT1), estrogen receptor alpha-1 (ESR1), and heat shock protein-70 genes) and enzymes activity (ethoxy-resorufin O-deethylase and glutathione S-transferase (GST)]. Plastic debris was found in 29% of the birds. The transcription of UGT1 and CYP1A5 was significantly associated with hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and PCBs levels. ESR1 was associated with HCB and Mirex, and GST was associated with Drins and Mirex. While organic pollutants affected shearwaters more than plastic ingestion, reducing plastic availability remains relevant as xenobiotics are also potentially adsorbed onto plastics.Fil: Pereira Serafini, Patricia. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Pacheco Harrison Righetti, Barbara. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Vanstreels, Ralph Eric Thijl. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Bugoni, Leandro. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande.; BrasilFil: Piazza, Clei Endrigo. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Lima, Daina. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Mattos, Jacó Joaquim. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Kiyomi Miyaji Kolesnikovas, Cristiane. No especifíca;Fil: Pereira, Alice. No especifíca;Fil: Maraschin, Marcelo. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Piccinin, Isadora. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Guilford, Tim. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Gallo, Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos; Argentina. Ministerio de Produccion y Trabajo. Secretaria de Gobierno de Agroindustria. Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria. Oficina de Senasa. Centro Regional Patagonia Sur.; ArgentinaFil: Uhart, Marcela María. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Lourenço, Rafael A.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Bainy, Afonso C. D.. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Lüchmann, Karim H.. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Brasi

Study of an intrinsically safe infrastructure for training and research on nuclear technologies

Within European Partitioning & Transmutation research programs, infrastructures specifically dedicated to the study of fundamental reactor physics and engineering parameters of future fast-neutron-based reactors are very important, being some of these features not available in present zero-power prototypes. This presentation will illustrate the conceptual design of an Accelerator-Driven System with high safety standards, but ample flexibility for measurements. The design assumes as base option a 70MeV, 0.75mA proton cyclotron, as the one which will be installed at the INFN National Laboratory in Legnaro, Italy and a Beryllium target, with Helium gas as core coolant. Safety is guaranteed by limiting the thermal power to 200 kW, with a neutron multiplication coefficient around 0.94, loading the core with fuel containing Uranium enriched at 20% inserted in a solid-lead diffuser. The small decay heat can be passively removed by thermal radiation from the vessel. Such a system could be used to study, among others, some specific aspects of neutron diffusion in lead, beam-core coupling, target cooling and could serve as a training facility