Advancement of geoecological monitoring of radon emanations from out-of-service tailings dumps in mineral mining and processing industry

The advanced approaches to geoecological monitoring of radon emanations are discussed. The method is proposed to measure the equivalent equilibrium volume activity of radon for the assessment of the dehumidified tailings dump body exposed to mountain and valley winds. The method is applicable to the assessment of the environmental and health impacts of out-of-service mining and processing facilities, including rock-fills and hydraulic waste bodies in the ravines in the mountainous terrain. The article gives the data of the field studies on the measurement of the equivalent equilibrium volume activity of radon-222 using the authorial methodology for the stress–strain estimates and the other parameters of the tailings dump body in the course of structural transformation after reclamation. The studies revealed substantial emanations of radon-222. The obtained data were processed using dedicated software and algorithms, and bar charts were constructed. The research findings supplement the geoecological monitoring information toward the integrated assessment of mountainous terrain condition, and to selected proper managerial solutions on the environmental safety.

Fomenko V. A., Sokolov A. A., Miroshnikov A. S., Ranjan Anuj, Lukyanov A. S. Advancement of geoecological monitoring of radon emanations from out-of-service tailings dumps in mineral mining and processing industry. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2023;(6):139–152. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2023_6_0_139.

The research was carried out at the Southern Federal University at the expense of the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. RNF/23-37-GL, No. 23-77-00015).

V.A. Fomenko¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: vafomenko@sfedu.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4725-3673,
A.A. Sokolov¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Head of Chair, e-mail: anso@sfedu.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3022-0883,
A.S. Miroshnikov, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, North Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (State Technological University), 362021, Vladikavkaz, Russia, e-mail: mirandrey@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0009-0008-0815-7156,
Ranjan Anuj, PhD, Cand. Sci. (Biol.), Leading Researcher, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, e-mail: randzhan@sfedu.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2592-9716,
A.S. Lukyanov, Student, Open University of Economics, Management and Law, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: alexandr.luckjanov@yandex.ru, ORCID ID: 0009-0005-5123-7344,
¹ Branch of Southern Federal University in Gelendzhik, Gelendzhik, Russia.

A.A. Sokolov, e-mail: anso@sfedu.ru.

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