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This integrated system employs a low-power infrared laser coupled with scattering detectors alongside a low-activity radioactive source and detector. Both methodologies utilize non-destructive principles to evaluate the concentration of solids. Specifically, X-ray transmission through the medium provides a measure of the solids fraction, as X-ray attenuation corresponds to the solids percentage. Concurrently, the optical component detects radiation backscatter from the sample. To ensure precision, both instruments underwent calibration using reference materials. Experimental evaluations were conducted using two configurations: a fixed array and a depth-profiling setup. The former utilized a 2.5 m plastic column with integrated sensors placed within a settling vessel to acquire data at discrete depths. Conversely, the depth-profiling configuration involved a submersible mobile unit lowered into the column to characterize the solids profile at arbitrary depths.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s26175645","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T12:12:25Z","timestamp":1788783145000},"page":"5645","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Dual X-Ray and Optical System for In Situ Monitoring of Solids Fraction in Tailings"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Talwinder Kaur","family":"Sraw","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Bo","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0101-9494","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiaoxuan","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1893-6814","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jason","family":"Ng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, 10210 Princess Elizabeth Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5G 0Y2, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Sedgwick","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, 10210 Princess Elizabeth Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5G 0Y2, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Manisha","family":"Gupta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3307-4909","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robert","family":"Fedosejevs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3353-7790","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ying Yin","family":"Tsui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2026, March 03). 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