Differences into HT and HTO concentrations in air into the Western Mediterranean Basin and Continental Europe and Safety Related Issues.

Real time Tritium concentrations in air in two chemical forms, HT and HTO, coming from an ITER-like fusion reactor as source were coupled the European Centre Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) numerical model with the Lagrangian Atmospheric-particle dispersion model FLEXPART. This tool was analyzed in nominal tritium discharge operational reference and selected incidental conditions affecting the Western Mediterranean Basin during 45 days during summer 2010 together with surface “wind observations” or weather data based in real hourly observations of wind direction and velocity providing a real approximation of the tritium behavior after the release to the atmosphere from a fusion reactor. From comparison with NORMTRI - a code using climatologically sequences as input - over the same area, the real time results have demonstrated an apparent overestimation of the corresponding climatologically sequence of Tritium concentrations in air outputs, at several distances from the reactor. For this purpose two development patterns were established. The first one was following a cyclonic circulation over the Mediterranean Sea and the second one was based on the plume delivered over the Interior of the Iberian Peninsula and Continental Europe by another stabilized circulation corresponding to a High Pressure System. One of the important remaining activities defined then, was the qualification tool. In order to validate the model of ECMWF/FLEXPART we have developed of a new complete data base of tritium concentrations for the months from November 2010 to March 2011 and defined a new set of four patterns of HT transport in air, in each case using real boundary conditions: stationary to the North, stationary to the South, fast and very fast displacement. Finally the differences corresponding to those four early patterns (each one in assessments 1 and 2) has been analyzed in terms of the tuning of safety related issues and taking into account the primary phase o- - f tritium modeling, from its discharge to the atmosphere to the deposition on the ground, will affect to the complete tritium environmental pathway altering the chronic dose by absorption, reemission and ingestion both from elemental tritium, HT and from the oxide of tritium, HT

Atmospheric modelling of Tritium forms transport: review of capabilities and R&D needs for the assessment of fusion facilities environmental impact

Comunicación presentada en: 38ª Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Nuclear Española celebrada del 17 al 19 de octubre de 2012 en Cáceres.This work models in detail the dispersion of tritium forms and dosimetric impact of selected environmental patterns both inland and in-sea using real topography and forecast meteorological data-fields (ECMWF/FLEXPART). We explore specific values of this ratio in different levels and we examine the influence of meteorological conditions in the HTO behavior for 24 hours. For this purpose we have used a tool which consists on a coupled Lagrangian ECMWF/FLEXPART model useful to follow real time releases of tritium at 10, 30 and 60 meters together with hourly observations of wind (and in some cases precipitations) to provide a short-range approximation of tritium cloud behavior. We have assessed inhalation doses. And also HTO/HT ratios in a representative set of cases during winter 2010 and spring 2011 for the 3 air levels

Composición química de la carne de conejo silvestre (Oryctolagus cuniculus) y viabilidad de su predicción mediante espectroscopía de infrarrojo cercano

En algunos países del entorno mediterráneo existe tradición de consumo de carne de conejo silvestre procedente de la caza. Sin embargo, las características de la canal y de la carne de esta especie cinegética han sido escasamente investigadas. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron analizar la composición química de la carne de conejo silvestre (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus) procedente del sudoeste de la Península Ibérica y estudiar la viabilidad de la puesta a punto de una metodología rápida de análisis para su determinación mediante espectroscopía de infrarrojo cercano (NIRS). La carne de conejo silvestre de la subespecie O. c. algirus contiene un 23,7% de proteína bruta, 0,2% de grasa bruta, 74,9% de humedad y 1,2% de cenizas. Esta composición difiere de la publicada para conejos domésticos y para conejos silvestres de la subespecie O. c. cuniculus, siendo más magra debido a su mayor contenido de proteína y muy inferior valor de grasa. Se obtuvieron modelos basados en la espectroscopía NIR con buena capacidad de predicción para los parámetros proteína y humedad (r2 = 0,70 y ETVC = 0,39%; y r2 = 0,73 y ETVC = 0,38%; respectivamente); mientras que las calibraciones seleccionadas para grasa y cenizas no resultaron ser aceptables.Wild rabbit meat is commonly consumed in many Mediterranean countries. However, the characteristics of the carcass and meat of this game species have been scarcely investigated. This study was aimed at analysing the chemical composition of hunted wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus) meat from Southern Iberian Peninsula, and studying the viability of a rapid analytical methodology for its determination by near infrared spectroscopy. Meat of the wild rabbit subspecies O. c. algirus has 23.7% of crude protein, 0.2% of crude fat, 74.9% of moisture and 1.2% of ash. This composition differed from the values published for domesticated rabbits and for wild rabbits of the O. c. cuniculus subspecies, it being leaner due to its higher protein content and its very lower fat content. NIR spectroscopy models obtained displayed a good predictive ability for the estimation of crude protein and moisture contents (r2 = 0.70 and SECV = 0.39%, and r2 = 0.73 and SECV = 0.38%, respectively), while the calibrations selected for crude fat and ash contents were not acceptabl

Subthreshold oscillations in a map-based neuron model

Self-sustained subthreshold oscillations in a discrete-time model of neuronal behavior are considered. We discuss bifurcation scenarios explaining the birth of these oscillations and their transformation into tonic spikes. Specific features of these transitions caused by the discrete-time dynamics of the model and the influence of external noise are discussed.Comment: To be published in Physics Letters

Validation of real time dispersion of Tritium clouds over the Western Mediterranean Basin in different assesments

Real time Tritium concentrations in air coming from an ITER-like reactor as source were coupled the European Centre Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) numerical model with the lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model FLEXPART. This tool ECMWF/FLEXPART was analyzed in normal operating conditions in the Western Mediterranean Basin during 45 days at summer 2010. From comparison with NORMTRI plumes over Western Mediterranean Basin the real time results have demonstrated an overestimation of the corresponding climatologically sequence Tritium concentrations in air outputs, at several distances from the reactor. For these purpose two clouds development patterns were established. The first one was following a cyclonic circulation over the Mediterranean Sea and the second one was based in the cloud delivered over the Interior of the Iberian Peninsula by another stabilized circulation corresponding to a High. One of the important remaining activities defined then, was the tool qualification. The aim of this paper is to present the ECMWF/FLEXPART products confronted with Tritium concentration in air data. For this purpose a database to develop and validate ECMWF/FLEXPART tritium in both assessments has been selected from a NORMTRI run. Similarities and differences, underestimation and overestimation with NORMTRI will allowfor refinement in some features of ECMWF/FLEXPAR

Tritium clouds environmental impact in air into the Western Mediterranean Basin evaluation

The paper considers short-term releases of tritium (mainly but not only tritium hydride (HT)) to the atmosphere from a potential ITER-like fusion reactor located in the Mediterranean Basin and explores if the short range legal exposure limits are exceeded (both locally and downwind). For this, a coupled Lagrangian ECMWF/FLEXPART model has been used to follow real time releases of tritium. This tool was analyzed for nominal tritium operational conditions under selected incidental conditions to determine resultant local and Western Mediterranean effects, together with hourly observations of wind, to provide a short-range approximation of tritium cloud behavior. Since our results cannot be compared with radiological station measurements of tritium in air, we use the NORMTRI Gaussian model. We demonstrate an overestimation of the sequence of tritium concentrations in the atmosphere, close to the reactor, estimated with this model when compared with ECMWF/FLEXPART results. A Gaussian “mesoscale” qualification tool has been used to validate the ECMWF/FLEXPART for winter 2010/spring 2011 with a database of the HT plumes. It is considered that NORMTRI allows evaluation of tritium-in-air-plume patterns and its contribution to doses