The Dzhidinsky orefield is located in the Zakamensky district of Buryatia. It is characterized by a high concentration of mineralization in a small area. The ores of the Dzhidinsky economic deposits are complex. This ore field includes Pervomaiskoye Mo, Kholtosonskoe W, and Inkurskoe W deposits. The catchment basin of the river Modonkul is located in the Dzhidinsky orefield. Mineral resource industry waste is a real threat to the city Zakamensk. Currently, the waste of deposits is located at the floodplain terrace and the watershed of the river Modonkul. In this work, the impact of the drainage mine and tributary Inkur on the formation chemical composition of the river Modonkul is studied. The 80 samples of water and suspended matter were taken from a surface of 0–0.5 m on seven sites. Physical and chemical parameters were measured at the sampling sites, and chemical composition was analyzed in the laboratory. In the natural background of the river, the major cations are, in decreasing order, Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Na⁺ + K⁺, and major anions are, also in decreasing order, HCO₃⁻ > SO₄²⁻ > Cl⁻. Along the river, the chemical type of water changes from bicarbonate to sulfate across the sulfate-bicarbonate or bicarbonate-sulfate class and from calcium-magnesium across sodium-calcium-magnesium reverse calcium-magnesium group. Total dissolved solids (TDS) increase by a factor of 4.0–4.7 between the upper and mouth of the river. The dissolved and suspended loads were studied in the mixing zone of acid mine and river water. The different hydrochemistry characteristics may result from Fe, Al, and Mn hydroxide precipitation. The pH values and dissolved oxygen cycles could change the uptake of heavy metals on suspended iron and manganese oxides, and the mechanism of removing it in water. River particulates have the potential of regulating heavy metal inputs to aquatic systems from pollution. The ore elements or the heavy metals are removed from the water in two ways: by the runoff of Modonkul and the sedimentation of suspended material at the bottom. The inflow of mine water into the Modonkul river leads to the rare earth elements (REEs) composition with negative cerium and positive europium anomalies.

Experimental studies of the surface atmosphere pollution with mining and processing wastes of tungsten–molybdenum ore were carried out using an equipment devised for collecting aerosols above the surface of sands. It has been established that toxic components formed during the decomposition of residual sulfide mineralization and products of interaction between acidic waters and rocks are transported with water vapor from the sands to the surface. The moisture condensed over the sands contains high concentrations of aluminum, fluorine, iron, silicon, manganese, zinc, and phosphorus. These elements form an atmospheric pollution halo over the technogenic sands and are further dispersed by air currents over neighboring areas. In winter, the snow cover is polluted over a vast territory due to wind dispersion of the aerosols. The halo of pollution extends over tens of square kilometers. A dependence was identified of qualitative and quantitative composition of the components polluting the snow cover on the storage time of the ore processing products. It is shown that some of the toxic elements pass into solution during snow melting from suspended solids, which are brought by wind from the territory where the soil cover is disturbed by mining.

We examine the formation conditions for the resources and chemical composition of mineral lakes located in the vicinities to the unique natural site of the Barguzin intermontane depression, Nizhnii Kuitun. Presented are the results from studying the surface structure of this sand massif. It is shown that its formation is associated with peculiar features in the tectonic development of the Barguzin depression. It is pointed out that the block of rocks forming Nizhnii Kuitun is broken up by tectonic faults into several smaller parts, and this had a determining impact on its modern appearance. The lakes under study are situated in the northern part of Nizhnii Kuitun, in the Nukhe-Nur urochishche, in the topographically clearly pronounced drainless depression. The formation of this depression occurred during the uplifting stage of the block of rocks when intensively fragmented rocks, located at the interface of the faults, lagged behind in vertical movement. The depression receives the runoff of surface and underground waters which drain sedimentary deposits of Nizhnii Kuitun. Data are provided to demonstrate that the lakes are situated in the ablation funnels of sand-clay sediments. On the basis of a quantitative determination of the chemical composition of water and gases, it is proved that seepage waters of sandy sediments of Nizhnii Kuitun and nitrogenous fissure-vein waters play the main role in the formation of resources and chemical composition of the lake water in the area of the Nukhe-Nur urotshistshe. The hydrological-hydrogeological model of the formation of the lakes under study is suggested. In a dry period when the amount of water infiltrating through the sand deposits of Nizhnii Kuitun decreases, the proportion of deep fissure-vein waters increases; therefore, water mineralization increases in the lakes as well as fluorine, sodium, tungsten and molybdenum contents. In wet years, the contribution of drainage waters to the formation of the lake’s resources increases, and the concentration of these elements decreases.

Lake Gusinoe is the second largest freshwater lake in Transbaikalia. Lakes serve as a source for drinking water, irrigation, and as a water source for the electricity, aquatic production, and tourism industry. Currently variations of content nutrients and organic matter differ in different areas of the lake. The content of total nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, and dissolved oxygen are distinguished more than 1.2–2.0 times. In accordance with the behavior of elements in the water, three groups of elements can be distinguished. The first group of elements, including Li, Ga, Ge, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, W, and U, were directly correlated with variations of major elements. The first group of elements showed decreasing concentrations with an increasing amount of total dissolved salt (TDS). The second group of elements, including Fe, Y, Nb, Th, and REE, were correlated oppositely with variations of TDS. The behavior of the third group of elements, including Mn, Zn, Ni, Cu, and Pb, decoupled with TDS. The value of the Eu anomaly was positively correlated with TDS. The water of Lake Gusinoe was extremely enriched by W, Mo, V, U, Li, Sr, and Ga; moderately by Ni, Cu, Ge, As, Rb, Cd, and Pb; and minimally by Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Y, Th, and REE.

Experimental studies of the surface atmosphere pollution with mining and processing wastes of tungsten–molybdenum ore were carried out using an equipment devised for collecting aerosols above the surface of sands. It has been established that toxic components formed during the decomposition of residual sulfide mineralization and products of interaction between acidic waters and rocks are transported with water vapor from the sands to the surface. The moisture condensed over the sands contains high concentrations of aluminum, fluorine, iron, silicon, manganese, zinc, and phosphorus. These elements form an atmospheric pollution halo over the technogenic sands and are further dispersed by air currents over neighboring areas. In winter, the snow cover is polluted over a vast territory due to wind dispersion of the aerosols. The halo of pollution extends over tens of square kilometers. A dependence was identified of qualitative and quantitative composition of the components polluting the snow cover on the storage time of the ore processing products. It is shown that some of the toxic elements pass into solution during snow melting from suspended solids, which are brought by wind from the territory where the soil cover is disturbed by mining.