A system has been developed to enhance the efficiency of studying radon fields.

The Unal Tailings Storage Facility is a decommissioned site in the mining and processing sector, located in the mountainous regions of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. In the 20th century, waste from the lead-zinc plant was stored here, and in the 21st century, it underwent reclamation. However, to ensure environmental safety, systematic comprehensive monitoring of such sites is essential.

Scientists from Southern Federal University conducted an expedition to North Ossetia to study the decommissioned tailings of mining and processing enterprises. This project, supported by the Russian Science Foundation, aimed to test express methods for monitoring technogenic soil pollution. The work involved the development and testing of innovative approaches to assessing environmental conditions.

A key component of the expedition was the comprehensive use of the radon radiometer "Alfarad Plus R," seismic station DR4040, and meteorological station "Sokol M-1" for scientific research. During discussions with leading specialists from the VNC RAS, this approach received positive feedback, enabling the exploration of the impact of mountain-valley winds on radon dispersion.

The study, conducted with high-precision 3D surface scans of the tailings through leveling, allowed for the detection of minor relief features associated with internal geodynamic processes. In addition to instrumental methods, soil, water, and vegetation samples were collected with precise geolocation. According to the researchers, these samples have been sent to the Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics named after N. N. Semenov of the RAS for in-depth mass spectrometric and spectroscopic analysis.

“The data obtained allowed us to formulate a well-founded hypothesis about the formation of radon fields, taking into account aerogasdynamic processes. This work lays the groundwork for a new direction in radon monitoring research in mountainous and foothill areas, and opens up prospects for implementing radon monitoring in coastal-shelf clusters in the near future,” emphasizes Senior Researcher Vladimir Fomenko.

The results of previous expeditions were presented at the II International Conference on "Sustainable Development of Soil Cover in Mountain and Plain Areas" and published in peer-reviewed SCOPUS Q2 journals. “The grant support from the Russian Science Foundation has significantly upgraded the equipment of the branch with the most modern domestic production tools, positively impacting the practical training of students in a competent educational environment,” noted the head of the department, Andrey Sokolov.

During the expedition, a useful model underwent successful testing. This invention significantly increased the efficiency of measurements in mountain-valley wind conditions. The research results were published in the journal “Mountain Information and Analytical Bulletin.”