A new technology using drones has been developed and is set to be deployed for remote monitoring of radiation measurements at former uranium mining and processing areas in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are equipped with gamma spectrometers developed by a German consortium in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
     The Fergana Valley links Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is home to fourteen million people. It is also one of the most fertile and densely populated areas of Central Asia. The valley and its inhabitants could be endangered by the release of radioactive materials and heavy metals from tailing dumps and heaps that are the result of historic uranium mining in the area. The Syr Darya River runs through the valley. It is one of the principal rivers in Central Asia.
    The new drone technology will make it much easier and safer to monitor radiation at the sites which is an integral part of environmental remediation. Before this, experts in Central Asia monitored these sites for radioactivity on foot. They wore backpacks equipped with gamma-ray spectrometers that detect the presence of natural radionuclides, including uranium. Most of the uranium legacy sites are located in hard to read mountainous and seismically active areas. Using backpacks is challenging and is less efficient than the new drone systems.
     This challenge was recognized by the IAEA Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites (CGULS). In 2017, the CGULS partnered with a consortium of experts from Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to carry out a research project to develop the new drone that is currently in the final testing phase.
     The three-year Development of a UAV-based Gamma spectrometry for the Exploration and Monitoring of Uranium Mining Legacies (DUB-GEM) project was launched in April 2019. It received about one million euros from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) is coordinating the project on the German side. The drone was provided by Third Element Aviation from Bielefeld to carry the gamma spectrometers. There are two companies working on developmental lines for drone-based gamma spectrometry. One is IAF-Radioökologie GmbH from Radeber and the other is BGR.
     The UAV will carry a gamma spectrometer that has been specifically selected for its accuracy in detecting the presence and concentration of the radionuclides that might be present at the legacy sites according to the IAEA.
     The initial phase of the DUB-GEM project was completed last year with the practical tests of the system in Ronneburg, Germany. Detailed contamination maps were generated from the flights over partially remediated uranium legacy sites. During this phase, the IAEA’s CGULS facilitated participation of Central Asian experts in practical workshops and coordination meetings and provided logistical assistance for the field work. Practical training for Central Asian experts by the IAEA on the use of the system in Fergana Valley is planned for later this year.
     Sven Altfelder is an IAEA remediation safety specialist. He said, “The tailor-made UAV-based gamma spectrometer will make it possible for experts to explore sites. By using the UAV to conduct monitoring duties, experts in the region will be able to easily gather the necessary data quickly, while avoiding potential physical and radiological risks altogether.”
       Malte Ibs-von Seht is the project coordinator from BGR. He said, “UAV-based gamma spectrometry is easier to use and has lower operational costs compared to well-established airborne methods such as helicopter-based gamma spectrometry. It also has a fast-mapping speed.”
     Azamat Mambetov is the State Secretary of the Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Emergency Situations. He said, “We will be able to use the results obtained by the UAV to explain remediation results to the local population and demonstrate that those areas are now safe.”
     In 2017, the Strategic Master Plan for Environmental Remediation of Uranium Legacy Sites in Central Asia was adopted by the IAEA, the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Commonwealth of Independent States Economic Council, as well as the governments of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The focus of the Master Plan to create a strategy and concrete mechanisms to remediate the sites safely and sustainably.
     Remediation in currently being carried out at several sites in Kyrgyzstan. Preparatory work in ongoing in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The revised version of the plan will focus on seven priority uranium legacy sites which include Mailuu-Suu, Min-Kush and Shekaftar in Kyrgyzstan; Degmay and Istiklol in Tajikistan; and, Charkesar and Yangiabad in Uzbekistan to advance remediation efforts and help bridge the remaining funding gap.