Inertness of influence exerted by effluents of Tyrnyauz Tungsten–Molybdenum Plant on hydrological systems of the North Caucasus

The most dangerous pollutants include solutions of heavy metals, which affect the habitat of living matter even after the cessation of mining operations. In the Caucasus, the negative impact of mutagens is enhanced by climatic and orographic features. Industrial waste storage facilities pose a threat to the environment. While rivers self-purify and recover from natural pollution, nature cannot cope with man-made pollution. The mechanism of the influence of heavy metals is considered using the example of the Baksan River in Kabardino-Balkaria, which receives wastewater from enterprises engaged in the extraction and enrichment of tungsten-molybdenum ore. Despite the cessation of mining operations, the river continues to be polluted due to the destruction of tailings and erosion processes, obeying the same time and climatic patterns as during the operation of enterprises. In the areas where industrial wastewater flows from the Molybdenum mine and its tailings storage facility, the copper concentration exceeds 50 maximum permissible concentration standards. The tailings of the enrichment do not enter the storage facility for more than 20 years, and the concentration of molybdenum in the river waters exceeds the maximum permissible concentrations by up to 16 times. The priority impact of tailings storage facilities on the pollution of the Baksan River waters is confirmed by the results of studies. Incomplete extraction of metals from ores is the cause of degradation of flora and fauna and diseases of the population. The utilization of technogenic tailings is associated with the problem of extracting metals from them, which has not been seriously addressed, given the strategic importance of the mined metals. A real reduction in the negative impact of technogenic pollutants is possible using technologies with leaching, both in underground workings, and combined mechanochemical effects on minerals in activators.

Valiev N. G., Golik V. I., Lebzin M. S. Inertness of influence exerted by effluents of Tyrnyauz Tungsten–Molybdenum Plant on hydrological systems of the North Caucasus. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(1-1):5-16. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2025_11_0_5.

N.G. Valiev¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Head of Chair, e-mail: niyaz.valiev@m.ursmu.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5556-2217,
V.I. Golik, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Professor, Moscow Polytechnic University, 107023, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: v.i.golik@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1181-8452,
M.S. Lebzin¹, Junior Researcher, e-mail: az_ma@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5959-135X,
¹ Ural State Mining University, 620144, Ekaterinburg, Russia.

V.I. Golik, e-mail: v.i.golik@mail.ru.

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