Hazard assessment of coals and processing waste in the Argun area in Transbaikalia

Ecological safety of coals and processing waste, connected with natural radionuclides contained in them, among other things, is the top-priority objective in the areas of natural uranium deposits and mineralization. Such area is the Transbaikalia region with the Streltsovo ore field in the south, directly adjoined by numerous coal deposits and shows. Engineering decision-making on mining of such deposits requires special investigations including the analysis of radioactive elements contained in underground natural coal seams, prediction of high concentrations of radioactive elements per deposits, elaborate study of coal radioactivity, development of coal mining technology with control over coal flows with the excessive content of radioactive elements, management of radioactive elements in waste of coal-fired power stations (ash and slag) and small coal-fired boiler houses, environmental monitoring of mining and utilization of coals with high concentrations of natural radionuclides, elaboration of engineering specifications, guidelines and procedures for the environmentally safe and resource-saving exploitation of such deposits. The article reports the results obtained by the research team of the Mining Faculty of the Transbaikalia University in the Southern Argun coal area in 2018 to 2022 within the framework of R&D projects supported by the grants of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Russian Science Foundation, and during the present-day investigations under the grant of the Russian Science Foundation, Project No. 24-27-20029. Accomplishment of the first two stages of the project research enabled the required measurements and sampling, wireframe and block modeling of coal seams and ash-and-slag dumps/pits, and determination of a correlation coefficient (Cc) for the total specific effective activity of natural radionuclides (Aeff, Bq/kg) as function of the ash content (Ad, %) of coal meant for combustion at thermal power stations, which ended with the proposal of an environmentally safe mining procedure for coal deposits with the increased content of natural radionuclides.

Sidorova G. P., Manikovskiy P. M., Yakimov A. A., Ovcharenko N. V. Hazard assessment of coals and processing waste in the Argun area in Transbaikalia. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2024;(12):62-77. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2024_12_0_62.

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Grant No. 24-27-20029. https://rscf.ru/project/24-27-20029.

G.P. Sidorova¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, e-mail: druja@inbox.ru,
P.M. Manikovskiy¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Senior Lecturer, e-mail: manikovskiypm@yandex.ru,
A.A. Yakimov¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: yaa76@yandex.ru,
N.V. Ovcharenko¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: nataovharenko@mail.ru,
¹ Transbaikal State University, Chita, 672039, Russia.

G.P. Sidorova, e-mail: druja@inbox.ru.

1. Vypkhanova G. V. Legal issues of ensuring environmental and energy security of the coal industry. Courier of Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL). 2020, no. 3, pp. 66—76. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.17803/2311-5998.2020.67.3.066-076.

2. Kuzmin V. R. Technology for assessing environmental pollution by energy facilities using the WICS information computing system. Information and mathematical technologies in science and management. 2023, no. 1, pp. 111—122. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.38028/ESI.2023.29.1.010.

3. Takaishvili L. N. Coal from the eastern regions of Russia in the fuel supply of power plants. Energy Policy. 2023, no. 3, pp. 24—35. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.46920/2409-5516_2023_3181_24.

4. Novoselov S. V. The problem of assessing the technogenic impact on the environment by countries — leaders in energy production and consumption. Ugol'. 2020, no. 2, pp. 48—50. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.18796/0041-5790-2020-2-48-50.

5. Yudovich Ya. E., Ketris M. P. Toksichnye elementy-primesi v iskopaemykh uglyakh: Monografiya [Toxic impurity elements in fossil coals: monograph], Ekaterinburg, UrO RAN, 2005, 648 p.

6. Adwek G., Boxiong Sh., Dongrui K., Yang J., Luo J. Emission control strategies of hazardous trace elements from coal-fired power plants in China. Journal of Environmental Sciences. 2020, vol. 93, pp. 66—90. DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2020.02.025.

7. Schneider L., Neil R. L., Lintern A., Sinclair D., Zawadzki A., Holley C., Aquino-López M. A., Haberle S. Assessing environmental contamination from metal emission and relevant regulations in major areas of coal mining and electricity generation in Australia. Science of The Total Environment. 2020, vol. 728, pp. 137—398. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137398.

8. Molev M. D., Maslennikov S. A., Zanina I. A. Ekologicheskaya bezopasnost' ugledobyvayushchikh regionov: Monografiya [Environmental safety of coal mining regions: monograph], Shakhty, 2018, 115 p.

9. Kantemirov V. D., Titov R. S., Yakovlev A. M. Possibilities of computer modeling for solving issues of mineral raw materials quality management. Problems of Subsoil Use. 2016, no. 4, pp. 170—176. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.18454/2313-1586.2016.04.170.

10. Orlov P. M., Sychev V. G., Akanova N. I. Natural radionuclides in Russian soils and phosphate ores of the planet. International Agricultural Journal. 2020, no. 4(376), pp. 62—68. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.24411/2587-6740-2020-14074.

11. Manikovsky P. M. Coal quality management based on their hazard criterion using digital models of the mineral at the Kutinsky brown coal deposit.Transbaikal state university journal. 2023, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 8—23. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.2109/2227-9245-2023-29-2-8-23.

12. Manikovsky P. M., Vasyutich L. A., Sidorova G. P. Methodology for modeling ore deposits in GGIS. Transbaikal state university journal. 2021, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 6—14. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.21209/ 2227-9245-2021-27-2-6-14.

13. Kantemirov V. D., Yakovlev A. M., Titov R. S. Geoinformation technologies of block modeling for assessing the quality indicators of minerals under conditions of transient processes of mining production. Vestnik of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2021, no. 1, pp. 38—47. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.37102/0869-7698_2021_215_01_03.

14. Manikovskiy P. M. Blochnaya model' kak osnova metoda geoekologicheskogo kartirovaniya ugol'nykh mestorozhdeniy po kriteriyu radiatsionnoy opasnosti (na primere Kutinskogo burougol'nogo mestorozhdeniya) [Block model as a basis for the method of geoecological mapping of coal deposits based on the criterion of radiation hazard (using the Kutinsky brown coal deposit as an example)], Candidate’s thesis, Мoscow, NITU MISIS, 2023, 25 p.

15. Yudovich Ya. E., Ketris M. P. Uran v uglyakh [Uranium in coals], Syktyvkar, 2001, 79 p.

16. Basargin A. A. Modeling of ore mineral deposits using the Micromine geoinformation system. Interexpo Geo-Siberia. 2016, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 151—155. [In Russ].

17. Feng G., Bai J., Zhang Y. Basic theories and key technologies of rock strata control for residual coal resources mining under complex conditions. Meitan Kexun Jishu. 2020, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 144—149. DOI: 10.13225/j.cnki.jccs.XR20.1869.

18. Kantemirov V. D., Yakovlev A. M., Titov R. S. Assessment of qualitative indicators of mineral resources using geoinformation technologies of block modeling. Geoinformatics. 2020, no. 3, pp. 29—37. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.47148/1609-364X-2020-3-29-37.

19. Zakrevsky K. E., Popov V. L. History of the development of three-dimensional geological modeling as a method for studying oil and gas deposits. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering. 2021, no. 5, pp. 89—100. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.18799/24131830/2021/05/3188.

20. Daia S., Finkelman R. B. Coal as a promising source of critical elements: progress and future prospects. International Journal of Coal Geology. 2018, vol. 186, pp. 155—164. DOI: 10.1016/j.coal. 2017.06.005.