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ERICo Velenje
Ecological research institute
ERICo Velenje, Institut za ekoloske raziskave
Koroska 58,
SI-3322 Velenje, p.p. 22
tel: +386 63 854 760
fax: +386 63 856 351
Director: Mag. Franc Avbersek
E-mail: Franc.Avbersek@guest.arnes.si
Among the 26 regularly employed there are 17 researchers,
one Doctor of chemical sciences, Doctor of biology science,
three Masters of biology science, one Master of Mining technology,
one Master of hydrogeology, one specialist of biology, four bachelors
of chemical sciences, one professor of geography, two bachelors
of biology, one bachelor of agronomy and one bachelor of forestry.
The technical crew constitutes of seven chemistry technicians,
one forestry technician and one economy technician.
Research for improvement of environment in the Salek valley
(photo) began in 1985.
That was the beginning of data acquisition
for the Velenje lake (photo).
In past years we developed
the cooperation with the
Jozef Stefan Institute, with the
Faculty of Biology, with Institute of Forestry,
National Institute of Chemistry,
University of Ljubljana,
Faculty of Chemistry
and Chemical Technology,
Department for Montanistic,
Department for Geology,
Faculty of Philosophic Science and with the
Department for Geography.
ERICo Velenje was established by the Thermopower station Sostanj (TES)
(photo),
the Lignite mine Velenje (RLV) (photo) and the
Electro-machine equipment (ESO Equipment)
with 40:40:20 percent shares in April 1992. ERICo Velenje got
the status of a research organisation at
MZT soon after the establishment.
Besides acquiring of higher formal education of our researchers
we have joined the academic research net.
The Jozef Stefan Institute (IJS)
joined the founders in July 1995.
Along with this ERICo Velenje has become the Institute for Ecological
Research, the first institute in the Salek valley.
- the environmental influence of the use of burning and sulphur elimination
products (TES) in underground mining
- the influence of emissions on forest ecosystems
- the influence of precipitation and soil on the pollution
of water sources
- pedological research of soil
- the program of the quality improvement of surface waters
in the Salek valley (photo)
- radiological research
- the possibilities of the use of composted mud of the
Central community waste waters cleaning station,
on the fly ash depot
- monitoring of aerosol air pollution
- cooperation at the project Humanization of labour in TES
- research and measurements for other clients
- realization of the Water sanitation programme
for the Velenje Municipality (photo)
- environmental influences reports.
Integration with the international R&D projects:
- Waldschaden teststellung des einflusses der luftverunreinigung auf das
waldokosystem aufgrund der forschung der struktur und funktion von planzen-geweben
und-organen (Ost-West projekt) (Institut für Pflanzenphysiologie, Karl
Franzens-Universität Graz)
- Bioindication of forest site pollution -tempus: JEP-4667-91/1 (Institut für
Pflanzenphysiologie, Karl Franzens-Universität Graz)
- COST - Action 810 (European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and
Technical Research) (Arbuscular mycorrhizas on sustainable agriculture
and natural ecosystem)
- the quality of water in the river Paka has improved for one quality class
- we have elaborated a synthetic study of ecological research
in the Salek valley, which is a starting point for planning
the research in our area
- together with IJS, EIMV and
HMZ
we have produced the first project in Slovenia for ecological monitoring
of a fly ash depot and products of sulphur elimination in TES
- on regular basis we are monitoring and checking the operation of the
Central communal waste waters cleaning station for in the Salek valley.
Data have contributed to better operation of the cleaning station
(photo)
- we carry out the intervention analyses of water at sudden outflows
of dangerous substances into water streams
(photo)
- we are monitoring the pollution of waste waters from households
(photo, photo)
- basic pedologic analyses of soil are being carried out
for the mesh of points in the valley and on request for
co-operative farming societies
- MZT has helped by providing funds for 11 young researchers,
which was the basis for the establishment of ERICo Velenje
- MZT and the
Ministry
of the Environment and Physical Planning are funding
the project of recording the state of outflows and
of the environment before the building of the cleaning station in TES
- MZT has co-funded the project entitled Sanitation
of polluted water streams and lakes in the Salek valley
- ecological monitoring of the fly ash depot, slurry and the products
of sulphur elimination (EKOMON)
- water sanitation program in the Salek valley
and research on the environment polution in the Salek valley
before the construction of desulphuration station in the
thermal power plant Sostanj.
We have all the necessary equipment for basic research.
Recently a modern equipment for new labs was ordered.
- high-pressured liquid chromatograph HPLC HP 1050,
- atomic absorbic spectrometer PERKIN ELMER 2380,
- gas chromatograph PERKIN ELMER Autosystem XL,
- flame photometer FLAPHO 4,
- Digesdahl device HACH for disintegration,
- Oximeter ISKRA,
- pH meter HACH,
- spectrometer HACH DR 2000,
- spectrometer ISKRA SPEKOL 21,
- agate and zirconia vibrational mill FRITSCH,
- a set of sieves for wet and dry sieving, FRITSCH,
- a homogeniser Ultraturax Janke Kunkel, IKA Labortechnik,
- a shaker MM 531 Scales Zelezniki,
- analytic scales Sartorius,
- precise scales ET-1111 Zelezniki,
- a dryer Instrumentarija Zagreb,
- a beaming stove Zlatarna Celje,
- a filter device NUCLEPORE, equipment for taking samples on the lake,
- a series of personal computers, connected to a net,
with a wide choice of software.
Ecological research will be needed even more in the future
owing to the polluters' consciousness, program orientation of MZT
and demands of the legislation. Our applied research
is steadily approaching the demands of users.
