Environmental Impact Assessment of the Nuclear Reactor in Vinca, Based on the Data on Emission of Radioactivity from the Literature - a Modeling Approach

Research activities of Vinca Institite have been based on two heavy water research reactors: a 10 MW one, RA, and zero power, RB. Reactor RA was operational from 1962 to 1982. In 2010, spent fuel has been sent to the country of origin, and the reactor now is in decommissioning. During the operational phase of the reactor there were no recorded accidental releases into the environment, only operational ones. Results of the environmental impact assessment of the assumed emission of radionuclides from the ventilation of nuclear reactor RA in Vinca to the atmospheric boundary layer are presented in this paper. Evaluation was done by using the Gaussian straight-line diffusion model and taking into account characteristics of the reactor ventilation system, the assumed emission release of radioactivity (from the literature), site-specific meteorological data for six-year period and local topography around nuclear reactor, and corresponding dose factors for inventory of radionuclides. Based on the described approach, and assuming that the range of appropriate meteorological data for six year period for the application of described mathematical model is enough for this kind of analysis, it can be concluded that the nuclear reactor RA, in the course of its work from 1962 to 1982, had no influence on the surrounding environment through the air above regulatory limits

Pepper pectin methylesterase inhibitor protein CaPMEI1 is required for antifungal activity, basal disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance

Pectin is one of the main components of the plant cell wall that functions as the primary barrier against pathogens. Among the extracellular pectinolytic enzymes, pectin methylesterase (PME) demethylesterifies pectin, which is secreted into the cell wall in a highly methylesterified form. Here, we isolated and functionally characterized the pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) gene CaPMEI1, which encodes a pectin methylesterase inhibitor protein (PMEI), in pepper leaves infected by Xanthomonascampestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv). CaPMEI1 transcripts are localized in the xylem of vascular bundles in leaf tissues, and pathogens and abiotic stresses can induce differential expression of this gene. Purified recombinant CaPMEI1 protein not only inhibits PME, but also exhibits antifungal activity against some plant pathogenic fungi. Virus-induced gene silencing of CaPMEI1 in pepper confers enhanced susceptibility to Xcv, accompanied by suppressed expression of some defense-related genes. Transgenic ArabidopsisCaPMEI1-overexpression lines exhibit enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, mannitol and methyl viologen, but not to the biotrophic pathogen Hyaloperonospora parasitica. Together, these results suggest that CaPMEI1, an antifungal protein, may be involved in basal disease resistance, as well as in drought and oxidative stress tolerance in plants

Air pollution dispersion modelling in surrounding of industrial zone of city Pancevo

Nato - Challenges of Modern Society, 26th NATO/CCMS International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modelling and Its Application, May, 2003, Istanbul, Turke

Air pollution dispersion modelling in surrounding of industrial zone of city Pancevo

Nato - Challenges of Modern Society, 26th NATO/CCMS International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modelling and Its Application, May, 2003, Istanbul, Turke

Representativity of Air Quality Control in Limited Number of Grid Points

In this study, we point to loss of accuracy in representing a field of air pollution concentration due to reduction of number of monitoring points or changes in their location. Using a Gaussian-type diffusion model, a high resolution concentration field was generated from 17 points representing the actual distribution of possible pollution sources. The starting grid consisted of 90 601 points. Then we reduced number of points by two orders of magnitude, forming the grid of 961 points. After that, the second reduction to 36 points was performed, still forming a regular grid. Finally, we had 16 points whose positions are in a qualitative agreement with the actual distribution of sampling stations in the area