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Exposure to airborne dust contaminated with pesticide in the Aral Sea Region
Abstract
The Aral Sea region is one of the world's foremost ecological disaster zones and there is increasing local concern for the health of millions of people living in this region. We have found that dust deposition rates across eastern Turkmenistan are among the highest in the world and that the dust is contaminated with pesticide.
... Ammonium nitrate fertilizer, Ammonium chloride fertilizer, Ammonium sulphate fertilizer, Nitrogen phosphorus fertilizer, Potassium chloride fertilizer; FAO, 2003), pesticides (e.g. DDT, phosalone, toxaphene and lindane) accumulated in the Aral Sea as well as salts which were leached from the salinized irrigated fields (Micklin, 1988;Zetterstr€ om, 1999;O'Hara et al., 2000;Whish-Wilson, 2002). Heavy metals (e.g. ...
... The grain size distribution is influenced by both the wind speed and the distance from the source region. Larger and thus heavier grains (medium sand and larger e >0.2 mm diameter) require a larger force in order to be set into and kept in motion (O'Hara et al., 2000;Zepp, 2004;Wu et al., 2006;Goudie, 2009;McKnight and Hess, 2009;Semenov 2011). They can only be mobilized during strong wind events and even then there preferred mode of transportation is a saltation near the earth surface. ...
The ground-based monitoring of dust deposition is an essential tool for the long-term evaluation of the aeolian processes involved in sediment transport in arid regions. It offers valuable insights into the spatio-temporal dynamics of the dust distribution and grants access to the deposited material for further analyses. Central Asia in general and the Aral Sea Basin, in particular, is an arid region that largely contributed to the aeolian transport of dust from natural and anthropogenic sources over long distances. The shrinking Aral Sea itself has become a global symbol for the overexploitation of limited water resources. Its artificial desiccation has led to the emergence of a new salty desert, the Aralkum. Exposed to severe wind erosion, the lake bed sediments are transported over hundreds of kilometers as white sand and dust storms, negatively affecting the Turan lowland surrounding the Aralkum. Passive dust deposition samplers were installed at 23 meteorological stations throughout the Turan lowland to monitor and evaluate the temporal and spatial dust dynamics between 2006 and 2012 and assess the grain size distribution, mineralogical and chemical properties of the deposited material. The dust deposition increased over time, which correlates with a decreasing trend in precipitation, increasing wind speeds, and a shift toward northern winds. More than 50% of all dust samples collected exceed the health-based deposition threshold, and the most intense dust storm events reached ground level deposition rates of up to 150 g m⁻² per hour. The grain size analysis showed that most of the material deposited in 3 m height was part of the PM5 group with average regional grain diameters between 0.0018 and 0.0129 mm. Coarser material was deposited in spring and summer throughout the study period. The average annual grain diameter increased from 0.0019 mm in 2006 to 0.0141 mm in 2012. Quartz, calcite, and dolomite were the main mineral components in the Central Asian dust samples, and the Aralkum and Karakum samples showed the most significant similarity. A slightly different composition characterized the Kyzylkum dust, but overall all Central Asian dust samples could easily be separated from dust samples from dust source regions in Asia. The differences between the Central Asian dust sources are more pronounced on the level of their chemical composition. The Aralkum samples show a greater similarity to the samples from the Kyzylkum and samples collected in Central Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and the Western Sahara. Combining different analytical methods allows for a detailed characterization of the different dust source regions and can be used to track this dust over greater distances. This study showed the impact of the Aralkum, but also that the Kyzylkum is a far more active dust source. Concerning climate change and increasing aridity in the region, the aeolian dust transport will continue to increase, making a widespread monitoring program even more critical.
... Several studies conducted since the late 1990s highlighted severe health issues affecting the populations living around the lake although most medical studies did not investigate the relationships between the observed increased morbidity and mortality and the exposure to dust. Some of the observed health problems are adult and children respiratory diseases in Turkmenistan (O'Hara et al., 2000); children respiratory and pulmonary diseases and renal functions (Kaneko et al., 2002; in Uzbekistan; psychological health and well-being in Uzbekistan (Crighton et al., 2003a;Crighton et al., 2003b); adult cancer (Mamyrbayev et al., 2016) and reproduction diseases affecting both men and women in Kazakhstan (Kislitskaya et al., 2015;Turdybekova et al., 2015;Kultanov et al., 2016). ...
... These contaminants, via the dust generated by the exposed seabed, now contaminate the air and the surrounding ecosystems, resulting in severe health risks for the populations living in the region. A highly cited article by O'Hara et al. (2000) describes very high dust deposition rates in southwestern Aral Basin (Eastern Turkmenistan) and considerable contamination of such dust with phosalone, an organophosphate pesticide (up to 126 mg/kg in the main irrigation zone along the Amu Darya River). In a more recent study by Mamyrbayev et al. (2016) the increase in cancers (all cancers, between 2003 and 2014) around Aral Sea was found to be 1.5 times higher compared to more distant areas, and this was hypothetically ascribed to inhalation and/or intake of Nickel and Cadmium. ...
Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) are a natural phenomenon with important impacts on ecosystems and human society. SDS hotspots are mostly located in drylands, however their impact goes beyond national and regional boundaries, making them a global issue. Factors affecting SDS occurrence include weather and climate, land cover and soil surface conditions, geomorphology and terrain types. “Playas”, the exposed beds of shrinking water bodies, play a significant role in dust generation. Land degradation and desertification processes play an important role on dust emission from playa sources, which is frequently triggered or increased by human activities such as unsustainable land and water use upstream, reduced vegetation cover on and around playas, and mechanical disturbance of the playa surfaces.
It has been estimated that anthropogenic playa sources contribute 85% of global anthropogenic dust emissions. Anthropogenic playa sources are frequently located near human settlements, so that even relatively small dust sources can have severe socio-economic and environmental impacts, including soil salinization and soil pollution when playa sediments are salt-rich or polluted. In these contexts, the implementation of sustainable land and water management (SLWM) measures and integrated watershed planning is particularly urgent to reduce dust emission and its impacts. The United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) identified the mitigation of anthropogenic SDS sources as a major pillar towards combating SDS.
The number of scientific articles addressing this issue is rapidly increasing, but our understanding of SDS emitted from anthropogenic playa sources remains limited and fragmented. This article reviews the literature on playa sources that are recognized to be mainly anthropogenic in nature, with particular focus on the anthropogenic drivers, the SDS-related impacts, and the possible SLWM-based solutions to reduce SDS impact.
... After the collapse of the Soviet Union, different countries drafted their own water policies, primarily to support rice and cotton agricultural fields, which further complicated an already delicate situation (Waehler and Dietrichs, 2017). This led to the desiccation of the lake, initiating dust and sand storms in the area, carrying B43 million tons of deposits from the lake floor (O'Hara et al., 2000;Small et al., 2003). According to a study by O'Hara et al. (2000), the dust contained high levels of salt mixed with pesticides. ...
... This led to the desiccation of the lake, initiating dust and sand storms in the area, carrying B43 million tons of deposits from the lake floor (O'Hara et al., 2000;Small et al., 2003). According to a study by O'Hara et al. (2000), the dust contained high levels of salt mixed with pesticides. ...
A saline lake forms when evaporation exceeds precipitation and its internally drained basin intersects the water table. These lakes are generally found in subhumid, arid and semiarid environments. They are home to several migratory birds and also a source of economically important minerals which add to their socioeconomic value. Saline lakes have been observed across the world including the Great Salt Lake in the United States, the Dead Sea in the Middle-East, Fuente de Piedra in Europe, and Sambhar Lake in India.
As salt lakes have closed system dynamics any trivial change gets highly magnified due to delicately balanced physical, chemical and biological cycles. Anthropogenic activities including runoff from agriculture, mining, construction of causeways and dams have led to their contamination. Moreover, when salt concentration rises, it may flow into fresh groundwater, deteriorating it as well. Lack of proper management, strict laws and policies to prevent them from degradation has further complicated the situation. In this review we studied saline lakes from around the world and based on most common issues faced by them, suggest measures for revival and conservation.
... At present, more than 60,000 km² of the former Aral Sea have been transformed into a desert of salty lake bed sediments, called the Aralkum [4][5]7]. Monitoring the salty dust emissions from the Aralkum is important as the Aral Sea has been a sink not only for salts, but also for agrochemicals and heavy metals and the mobilized dust poses a considerable health risk for the surrounding region [1,5,[8][9]. Due to the size of the affected area (>1.5 million km²) spread over three countries (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) and the isolation of large parts of that area, most studies focus on remote sensing as their primary tool for the monitoring of the aeolian sediment transport [10][11][12]. ...
... Carrying out such a ground-based monitoring in the Aral Sea basin was the central aim of the EU-CALTER project [5] and in combination with two other projects (The UNESCO KHOREZM project and the LUCA project [7]) the field measurements included a total of 23 meteorological stations in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (Fig. 1). Monthly dust samples were collected between 2006 and 2012 in 3m height, using passive deposition samplers of an inverted frisbee design (Fig. 1), which had been used in Central Asia in previous studies with good results [8][9][14][15]. This extensive data set was complemented by samplers of the same design, which were only exposed during dust storm events (defined by a visibility of less than 1km). Information about the vertical dust profiles between 0.25 and 16m was provided through additional measurements conducted during dust storms in the Kazakh part of the research area [16][17]. ...
The desiccation of the Aral Sea ranks among the largest man-made ecological catastrophes and has become a global symbol for the overexploitation of limited resources and the environmental and socio-economic consequences caused thereby. Formerly the fourth largest inland lake, large parts of the Aral Sea have been transformed into a salty desert – the Aralkum. The exposed lake bed sediments are subject to wind erosion, resulting in white sand and dust storms which have been tracked over several hundred kilometers using remote sensing images. Dust deposition data, on the other hand, requires excessive field work over prolonged periods of time and thus is scarce. In order to learn more about the spatial and temporal dynamics of the dust deposition in the Aral Sea region and in order to evaluate the influence of the Aralkum, the passive dust deposition data from 23 meteorological stations in the Aral Sea basin has been monitored between 2006 and 2012 in the framework of three research projects.
Падение уровня Аральского моря, вызванное нерациональным использованием ограниченных водных ресурсов, относится к числу наиболее серьезных экологических и социоэкономических катастроф антропогенно-техногенного характера. Процессы засоления и отступления береговой линии Аральского моря, в прошлом занимавшего по площади четвертое место в мире среди крупных озер, привели к образованию соленой пустыни, носящей название Аралкум. Сухие донные отложения, подверженные действию ветровой эрозии, вызывают белые песчаные и пылевые бури, по сведениям аэрокосмической съемки способные к переносу частиц на расстояние несколько сот километров. Для получения достоверной информации о количестве и качественном составе атмогенных отложений необходимо реализовать широкомасштабные полевые наблюдения в определенных временных интервалах. Результаты, характеризующие особенности пространственной и временной динамики атмогенных отложений, были получены на основе пассивных измерений их количества и качества на 23 метеорологических станциях Аральского региона в период с 2006 по 2012 гг. в рамках выполнения трех проектов.
... The zone most severely impacted by polluted aerosols from the Aralkum region was mainly distributed in the vicinity of the Aral Sea region, including western Kazakhstan, and most of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The size of dust storms around the Aral Sea is among the largest in the world, and the pollution content they carry significantly exceeds WHO standards (O'Hara et al., 2000;Törnqvist et al., 2011). ...
The Aral Sea, which a few dozen years ago was the fourth largest lake in the world, currently exists only in a rudimentary form. The drastic reduction in the flow of water from the two great rivers feeding the Aral Sea, caused by the Soviet plan to irrigate cotton-growing areas, caused enormous economic, social and health problems and a decline in biodiversity. The main natural consequences of disturbing the water balance are: a significant decrease in biodiversity, local climate changes, an increase in the salinity of remaining waters and dry bottom soils. The social consequences discussed include: the decline of fishing and fish processing and the disappearance of tourism, which results in unemployment and increased poverty of the local population. A very important problem are dust storms that arise on a dry bottom and spray salty and toxic dust throughout the Review Article Jabbarov et al.; J. Sci. 67 Aral Sea basin, which results in different negative health effects for the people living there. The article also discusses the possibilities of minimizing the price paid for shrinking a large body of water. A return to the pre-1960 state is very unlikely in the foreseeable future, but a relatively simple, although partial, solution to the problem, is to reduce soil erosion by introducing vegetation. The research proposed and conducted by a group from the National University of Uzbekistan is aimed at correlating soil parameters with the possibilities of effectively introducing plants into existing habitats. The importance of the selection of species was pointed out not only because of their adaptation possibilities, but also because of their economic importance and phytoremediation possibilities.
... Researchers ignore cities that are local centers, which are especially important in countries with significant land areas and relatively low population densities. In turn, the literature on Central Asia, Kazakhstan, and northwestern China regarding the impact of wind focuses primarily on issues related to the wind erosion of soil [48,49] and the impact of dust winds on the environment [50][51][52][53]. With this in mind, we selected centers of local importance to study the impact of wind on the sustainability of small towns. ...
Currently, global urbanization trends offer various development models, but their main goal is to create a comfortable and safe environment for city residents. Most cities in Kazakhstan are small in scale and face several pressing problems, such as limited infrastructure, inadequate public services, economic challenges resulting in unemployment, environmental problems, and housing shortages. In this article, using the examples of the towns of Zhanatas and Karatau, an attempt was made to indicate the threat posed by wind to the sustainable development of monocities in the Zhambyl region. The working hypothesis of our study is that state policy supporting the sustainable development of small towns is insufficient and should be changed. Theoretical, empirical, and cartographic methods were used during the research, depending on the specificity of the analyzed territories. The unique climatic features of the cities of Karatau and Zhanatas, which are located in the study area, were taken into account and unfavorable meteorological phenomena were analyzed. The collected data were used to assess the impact of climatic conditions on the sustainable development of small towns in the study area. The research’s results allow one not only to determine the impact of wind exposure on the sustainable development of small towns in the Zhambyl region, but also constitute a basis for assessing, more generally, the opportunities and threats relevant to small towns.
... Многочисленные исследования выявили высокую распространенность поражения респираторной системы и желудочно-кишечного тракта, анемий, почечной патологии [37,116,144], нарушений ментального здоровья [136], онкологических заболеваний [99] у жителей Приаралья . Все перечисленные ХОС [23,27,62,173] и некоторые тяжелые металлы [25, 28,30,36,72,125,149] являются эндокринразрушающими соединениями (ЭРС) . ...
BACKGROUND: Since the mid 20th century, the Southern Aral Sea Region is notorious as a region of ecological disaster, where anthropogenic influence led to the desiccation of the Aral Sea. Aridization of these territories is the cause of accumulation of endocrine disrupting chemicals — pesticides and toxic metals in soil and water. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the changes in hormonal profile under the influence of environmental factors in prepubertal children living at different distances from the epicenter of the Aral ecological disaster. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 58 male children aged 11–13 years. All children from birth lived in two regions of the Aral Sea Region and were divided into two groups depending on their place of residence. The group “North” (unfavorable conditions) consisted of 27 children from Muynak, Kungrad, Karauzyak, Takhtakupyr districts. The “Nukus” group (relatively favorable conditions) included 31 volunteers from Nukus city. All children were determined the concentration of IGF-1 — Insulin-like growth factor 1, GH — growth gormone, TT — total testosterone, E2 — estradiol, FSH — follicle-stimulating hormone, LH — luteinizing hormone, TSH — thyroid-stimulating hormone, TT3 — total triiodothyronine in blood sample. The statistical significance of the differences of the mentioned hormones in children from the “North” and “Nukus” groups was checked using the Mann–Whitney test. RESULTS: This analysis revealed statistically significantly higher values of TT, FSH and LH in children from the “Nukus” group compared to their peers from the “North” group. The concentrations of IGF-1, GH, E2, TTG and T3 in blood plasma in volunteers from both groups were not statistically significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: The environment of the Aral ecological disaster region with increased content of organochlorine compounds, pesticides and heavy metals changes the endocrine status in local prepubertal children. This is expressed in a moderate decrease in the activity of androgens (but not estrogens) and gonadotropic hormones. This research work can be considered as a pilot study, which determines the need for further monitoring of endocrine disorders in children and adults living in negative environmental conditions.
... By the late 1980s, the Sea had separated into two, a North Aral Sea (NAS) in Kazakhstan, and a South Aral Sea (SAS) made up of eastern and western sections in Uzbekistan, and separated by a new desert, the Aralkum. The surrounding areas were covered in toxic dust laden with pesticides from cotton fields and other toxic chemicals [13] originating from the Aralkum, causing serious health problems for the affected communities, resulting in (as of 2012) unusually high mortality rates half [19,20]. 1 Uzbekistan, with international partners, has drilled for gas on the Aralkum [22,23], has programs to plant drought resistant trees [24,25], and plans to develop tourism in the area, including casinos [26,27]. There are no plans to attempt to reverse the desertification and re-fill the SAS. ...
This study focuses on how the Uzbek public perceives the Aral Sea disaster, the role of the government, the UN, and other agencies, and their overall attitude toward the future of the region. This research is based on an online survey of 599 people across Uzbekistan. The results show that the participants are largely supportive of government and optimistic for the future of the Aral Sea region, despite also being concerned for its environment. The role of traditional and social media plays a crucial role in informing and shaping people’s opinions. A sense of inclusion and representation within the decision-making process led to increased government support amongst the attitudes of the participants.
... Связанные с тренировками изменения фенотипа спортсменов во многом зависят от интенсивности, частоты, продолжительности упражнений и условий окружающей среды [4]. Известно, что в результате высыхания Аральского моря и применения пестицидов в сельском хозяйстве экологическая обстановка в Приаралье значительно обострилась [5, 6,7,8,9,10]. Научные выводы о негативном влиянии этих неблагоприятных экологических факторов региона на морфофункциональные особенности и конституциональное строение тела представителей населения, в том числе детей [11], подростков [12], юношей [13], девушек [14,15], юношейспортсменов (смешанная группа) [16,26], детей-спортсменов и подростков (смешанная группа) [17], нашли отражение в исследованиях. ...
Basketball is considered one of the most popular team sports in the world. Anthropometric characteristics of an athlete are a marker of how an athlete achieves the highest results and achievements in their chosen sport. The aim of the study is to investigate the total body dimensions in boys and girls 8-16 years old who are engaged in basketball. A total of 720 basketball players took part in the study. The analysis of the results of the study of the main morphological indicators shows that such an important, genetically determined and stable indicator as height, changed in accordance with the general biological laws. Higher growth rates of total dimensions of basketball players were observed at the age of 15-16 years (statistically higher values in favor of basketball players).
... The diagnostic PAH ratios commonly used to identify sources (Bap/BghiP = 0.337 non-transport; Flo/Flo + Pyr = 0.31 gasoline emission; and Ant/Ant + Phe = 0.092 petrogenic source) suggest that the identified PAHs that survive chemical and photochemical degradation during long-distance transport are likely of petrogenic origin (Federici et al., 2018). Although the dust from the Aralkum desert area would also be expected to have elevated PAH levels because the area is considered polluted (O'Hara et al., 2000;Whish-Wilson, 2002), measured PAHs do not exhibit higher concentrations. ...
The uncharacteristically extreme outbreak of particulate matter took place over the Balkan region from 27 to 30 March 2020. Observations at air quality stations in Croatia recorded hourly PM10 concentrations up to 412 μgm⁻³. The meteorological analysis shows that the increase in PM10 concentrations was primarily due to the advection of dust from the deserts east of the Caspian Sea. The anticyclone north of Croatia and the cyclone over Anatolia formed a strong pressure gradient driving transport from the east. Both back trajectories and satellite products pointed to the dry Aral Sea as the main source of dust. A dust plume influenced the PM10 increase observed in Croatia, starting at the easternmost air quality stations. The modeling study shows that the vertical extent of the dust plume was up to ∼2 km. However, the chemical and morphological (scanning electron microscope analysis) composition of PM10 at the sites in the northeastern Adriatic Sea showed mainly the presence of Saharan dust. Prior to the advection of the Asian dust, the transport of Saharan dust, driven by Sharav cyclone, was observed in the PM10 values at several stations in the Adriatic Sea and on the Croatian mainland on 26 March 2020. Modeling results showed that the Saharan dust transport occurred at altitudes below ∼8 km. The mixing of the Asian and Saharan dust plumes over the Balkans was favored by the subsidence due to anticyclonic high‐pressure conditions and is the most likely explanation for the observed PM chemical and morphological results.
... La migration peut se faire par sorption, lixiviation, dérive de pulvérisation, volatilisation ou encore par ruissellement (Tudi et al., 2021). Les pesticides peuvent se retrouver dans l'eau par utilisation direct de pesticides dans l'eau (aquaculture) (Macken et al., 2015), par percolation et ruissellement de terrain agricole (Laabs et al., 2002;Willis and McDowell, 1982), par le rejet d'eaux usées contaminées (Köck-Schulmeyer et al., 2013), par déposition atmosphérique (O'Hara et al., 2000) ou encore par échange entre l'eau et l'air (Lin et al., 2012). Les pesticides appliqués dans l'agriculture peuvent se déplacer dans l'air par le biais de processus tels que la dérive de pulvérisation et la volatilisation (Schomburg et al., 1991) parfois même sur une longue distance. ...
L’étang de Thau est un site naturel de grand intérêt non seulement d’un point de vue économique pour ses activités (ostréiculture, mytiliculture, pêche, tourisme) mais aussi d’un point de vue écologique car il abrite un écosystème diversifié et fragile (Natura 2000). Les évaluations des risques sanitaires et/ou environnementales sont des outils indispensables pour déterminer les risques associés à la présence de contaminants. L’émergence de l’analyse non-ciblée en environnement permet aujourd’hui de déterminer l’ensemble des molécules pouvant être présentes dans un échantillon. L’approche proposée dans cette étude est basée sur la complémentarité des approches ciblée et non ciblée dans deux matrices l’eau et l’air. Dans un premier temps, l’analyse non ciblée, jamais réalisée auparavant sur l’étang de Thau, a permis de mettre en évidence l’ensemble des contaminants présents dans les matrices eau et air en différents points autour de l’étang. Une priorisation parmi les 729 molécules retrouvées a permis la sélection de 22 molécules pour une quantification. Dans un second temps, l’analyse ciblée a été élargie à des contaminants dont la présence était suspectée notamment certaines cynaotoxines (microcystine-LR, anatoxine-A, BMAA et ses isomères), pesticides et PPCPs permettant ainsi pour certains de confirmer leur présence et ainsi aboutir à une étude préliminaire du risque pour l'environnement et/ou la santé humaine. Parmi les molécules identifiées, la BMAA et ses isomères ont ensuite été testées sur un modèle animal, le poisson zèbre (D.rerio), montrant que l’isomère AEG semble avoir le plus d’effet.
... However, the seasonal and diurnal variations of aerosols in the Aral Sea region are still unknown, and these variations generally determine their impact on health and climate in this region. The potential impact of pesticides, PM 10 and PM 2.5 , and heavy metals carried by dust from the Aral Sea region on human health, ecology, and the environment has also been studied qualitatively [64,65]. Up to now, data in terms of the zone most frequently impacted by aerosols from the Aral Sea region have been scarce and limited. ...
With the desiccation of the Aral Sea, salt–alkali dust storms have increased in frequency and the surrounding environment has deteriorated. In order to increase our understanding of the characteristics and potential impact zone of atmospheric aerosols in the Aral Sea region, we evaluated seasonal and diurnal variation of aerosols and identified the zone most frequently impacted by aerosols from the Aral Sea region using CALIPSO data and the HYSPLIT model. The results showed that polluted dust and dust were the two most commonly observed aerosol subtypes in the Aral Sea region with the two accounting for over 75% of observed aerosols. Occurrence frequencies of polluted dust, clean continental, polluted continental/smoke, and elevated smoke showed obvious seasonal and diurnal variations, while occurrence frequency of dust only showed obvious seasonal variation. Vertically, the occurrence frequencies of all aerosol subtypes except dust showed significant diurnal variation at all levels. The thickness of polluted dust layers and dust layers exhibited same seasonal and diurnal variations with a value of more than 1.0 km year-round, and the layer thickness of clean continental and polluted continental/smoke shared the same seasonal and diurnal variation features. The zone most severely impacted by aerosols from the Aral Sea region, covering an area of approximately 2 million km2, was mainly distributed in the vicinity of the Aral Sea region, including western Kazakhstan, and most of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The results provide direct support for positioning monitoring of aeolian dust deposition and human health protection in the Aral Sea region.
... Small particles can travel from 500 km to thousands of kilometres during moderate wind storms (Pye, 1987). The largest amounts of pesticides and heavy metals are usually adsorbed to the fine particles (Agassi et al., 1995;O'Hara et al., 2000). These contents can also be normally enriched in the fine (suspended) particles (Clymo et al., 2005). ...
Wind-eroded sediment, as an environmental transport pathway of toxic elements and pesticids, can result in environmental and human exposure far beyond the agricultural areas where it has been applied. In our research we quantified the pesticide residues moving in the soil near Szeged (Hungary) on the original soil surface of agricultural areas with a portable wind tunnel. Before the experiments, a portion of the sample area was treated with chlorpyrifos and pendimethalin. A control area was also selected. In 2017-2019, a total of 42 wind event experiments were conducted by examining the topsoil samples. During the experiments, moving soil particles were trapped at various heights (5-10 cm, 20-25 cm and 50-55 cm) and the pesticide concentrates by GC-MS were measured. The enrichment ratios (ER) were calculated, and statistical analyzes were also carried out (SPSS). The measurements obtained that the pendimethalin ER is much higher in the rolled fraction (mean: 13.7) than chlorpyrifos (mean: 2.9). Our measurements showed that the enrichment of chlorpyrifos and pendimethalin can be detected in the rolling and suspended soil particles.
... Adult and children respiratory diseases studied in Turkmenistan (O'Hara et al., 2000) were a major cause of illness and death among all age groups but accounted for 50% of all reported illnesses in children. ...
Available here: http://hdl.handle.net/10986/36461
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Central Asia experiences frequent sand and dust storms (SDS), which have been made worse by human activity. The main objective of this study is to provide an economic analysis of the benefits of afforestation of the former Aral Seabed in Uzbekistan. The objective of this study is to estimate economic benefits attributed to afforestation of the former Aral Seabed in Uzbekistan. Proper estimation and categorization of economic benefits associated with each scenario of landscape restoration enables the Government of Uzbekistan and local authorities to allocate limited resources in an efficient way, supporting promising rehabilitation techniques and practices. Based on wind erosion modeling results, this study measures soil retention ecosystem services in the former Aral Seabed in Uzbekistan. To understand the value of soil retention ecosystem services, several scenarios of landscape restoration are considered.
... Research in the Aral Sea Basin suggested that drinking water quality did not threaten human health directly. Rather, pollutants, including pesticides and toxic elements, had different pathways, e.g. through the consumption of food which did not comply with the health standards and inhalation of contaminated desert dust (O'Hara et al., 2000;Jensen et al., 1997;Muntean et al., 2003;Crighton et al., 2011). Therefore, a holistic approach to research of water quality on human health is required including different types of exposure and multiple pathways. ...
Study region
Glacierized catchments in Central Asia
Study focus
The literature on hydrochemistry and water quality was reviewed to identify gaps in knowledge required to understand and quantify the impacts of climate change and deglacierization.
New hydrological insights for the region
The main knowledge gap was the characterization of hydrochemistry and water quality along the elevation continuum from glaciers to arid plains. The chemical composition of snow and glacier ice are understood relatively well but the pathways of pollutants stored in glacier ice and released with melt into the aquatic systems are not researched. There is a lack of publications on the release of organic carbon following deglacierization and element leaching from the exposed substrate, permafrost and rock glaciers. Snow and glacial melt dilutes pollutants along the river channels, reducing concentrations and mostly ensuring the compliance with water quality standards including downstream locations. Poor surface water quality is associated with irrigation, the practice of soil washing, and discharge of the untreated sewage. There is a notable lack of information about the links between snow and glacier melt, aquifer recharge and groundwater quality and this is a major gap in knowledge affecting environmental and health protection. Better understanding and quantification of factors and processes controlling hydrochemistry and water quality is needed to adapt to the impacts of the imminent deglacierization.
... Эти процессы в Приаралье повлияли на популяцию людей. В том числе увеличение заболеваемости и смертности у детей и пожилых людей, сердечно-сосудистые заболевания [14], заболевания дыхательной системы [24], психологические заболевания [18,21], репродуктивные заболевания [19,25], увеличение числа онкологических заболеваний [26], врожденные аномалии развития [23] обусловили такие изменения. ...
According to studies conducted in recent years, there is a harmful effect of harmful chemicals in the environment on the cardiovascular system. The level of blood pressure is a very important hemodynamic indicator, the level of which provides primary information about diseases of the cardiovascular system. In this study, the indicators of total body size, blood pressure and heart rate were measured in adolescents living in unfavorable environmental conditions of the Aral Sea region. In adolescents of both sexes, body weight deficiency occupied a significant share. In girls and boys, the excess body weight was about 5%. Obesity was not observed in adolescents of both sexes. Hypotension was detected in 17.64% of the females studied by categories of systolic blood pressure, and there were no cases of hypertension among the females. And in males, hypotension of 8.70% and hypertension of 4.35% were observed. According to the categories of diastolic blood pressure, hypotension of 2.95% and hypertension of 8.82% were detected in females, hypotension of 8.69% and hypertension of 8.70% in males.
... The existence of the Salton Sea in its current state is more than an eyesore or an ecological conundrum; the Salton Sea may also be the source of current, and likely future, health risks to the nearby human population. Similar geographic and environmental features (Gomez et al., 1992;O'Hara et al., 2000;Wiggs et al., 2003) between the Salton and Aral Seas suggest that there could be links between these features and the potential for adverse health consequences that may be applicable in the context of the Imperial Valley. Evidence of human health impacts resulting from drought conditions in the Imperial Valley of Southern California is limited to anecdotal evidence. ...
Abstract The Imperial Valley region of Southeastern California has become one of the most productive agricultural regions in the state and has the highest rates of childhood asthma in California. Lack of precipitation in the Imperial Valley has caused the water level of the Salton Sea to recede to a record low since its formation in the early 1900s. Previous studies of wind and dust deposition conducted in other regions have shown how reduced precipitation, ground heating, and the diminishing water level in an arid climate pose a risk of exposing previously sequestered toxic chemicals to open air, adversely affecting lung health. The purpose of this study is to draw historical parallels between the Aral Sea and Salton Sea in the context of geomorphology, ecology, human health, economics, and human migration, to inform an assessment of environmentally related health impacts of those living in the Imperial Valley region. Future droughts and heatwaves are expected to rise in frequency and severity, disproportionately affecting those impacted by financial and health disparities. Future research must include the implications of population health in the context of GeoHealth as a result of the most recent drought and the receding water levels of the Salton Sea.
... The shrinkage of Aral Sea [1], related to changes in water storage [2,3], water quality [4], regional climate [5,6], and environmental conditions [7][8][9], have been hotspots of research attention in the past few decades. The Syr Darya River, which originates in the Tian Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan and is the second largest river in the Aral Sea Basin, has also received more research focus. ...
Based on water sampling of the upper reaches of the Syr River and its tributaries from the parts of Aral Sea Basin in Kyrgyzstan, the chemical compositions of river waters were systematically analyzed for revealing the hydrochemical characteristics and evaluating the water quality. Research indicates that there are some differences in ion concentration between the low-flow season (LFS) and high-flow season (HFS), but the hydrochemical classification reflected that all water samples fall in the calcium bicarbonate category, except that only three samples fall in the not dominant category during the LFS. The water quality classification shows that the water samples fall in the excellent to good categories for irrigation use. The analysis shows that the main ions of river waters come from the weathering of rocks, and the dissolution of carbonates is higher than that of silicates. Human activities have had an impact on the waterbody, especially inferred from the indicators of NH4-N and fecal coliform (FC). FC groups were detected in some rivers, in which the detection rate at the high-water level increased. The contents of potentially toxic elements are lower than international drinking water standards, but there are clustering differences between the LFS and HFS. There may be anthropogenic intrusions of Cu, Pb, and Zn during the LFS period and of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd during the HFS period. The results fill the gaps in the study of the hydrochemical composition and water quality assessment in the Aral Sea Basin and will also provide a basis for water resource management and for the study of water quality evolution in the future.
... Garrison et al. (2006) suggested that Saharan dust might act as a carried of persistent organic pollutants, metals (Pb in their specific study), and microbes to the Caribbean. In fact, some organic persistent pollutants, such as pesticides have been described to be potentially emitted from desert areas such as the Aral Sea (Ataniyazova et al., 2001;O'Hara et al., 2000). García et al. (2017) reported long data series on organic speciation of dust in the free troposphere over the Canary Islands, on his way to the Caribbean, and they identified levoglucosan, dicarboxylic acids, saccharides, n-alkanes, hopanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organic compounds formed after oxidation of α-pinene and isoprene; and revealed a high correlation of secondary organic and inorganic aerosols during dust episodes. ...
We review the major features of desert dust outbreaks that are relevant to the assessment of dust impacts upon human health. Our ultimate goal is to provide scientific guidance for the acquisition of relevant population exposure information for epidemiological studies tackling the short and long term health effects of desert dust. We first describe the source regions and the typical levels of dust particles in regions close and far away from the source areas, along with their size, composition, and bio-aerosol load. We then describe the processes by which dust may become mixed with anthropogenic particulate matter (PM) and/or alter its load in receptor areas. Short term health effects are found during desert dust episodes in different regions of the world, but in a number of cases the results differ when it comes to associate the effects to the bulk PM, the desert dust-PM, or non-desert dust-PM. These differences are likely due to the different monitoring strategies applied in the epidemiological studies, and to the differences on atmospheric and emission (natural and anthropogenic) patterns of desert dust around the world. We finally propose methods to allow the discrimination of health effects by PM fraction during dust outbreaks, and a strategy to implement desert dust alert and monitoring systems for health studies and air quality management. Keywords: Mineral dust, Atmospheric particulate matter, Aerosols, Epidemiology, Natural and anthropogenic contributions
... This has lead to a lack of continuous ground data for a long-term evaluation of the impact the Aralkum has on the region as well as for the analysis of the spatial and temporal patterns of the sediment transport and their connection to meteorological and climatic factors. Carrying out such a ground-based monitoring in the Aral Sea basin was the central aim of the EU-CALTER project [7] and in combination with two other projects (the UNESCO KHOREZM project [8] and the LUCA project [9]) the field measurements included a total of 23 meteorological stations in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (Fig. 1). ...
Ground based dust monitoring is an important tool for the long-term monitoring of aeolian sediment transport in Central Asia as it provides valuable insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of dust deposition as well as grants access to the transported material for further analyses. Between 2006 and 2012 such a monitoring was carried out in the Turan lowland to analyze the effects of the newly formed Aralkum. The detected spatial and temporal dust deposition variability was significant and encourages further studies. The dust deposition increased over time, which correlates with a decreasing trend in precipitation, increasing wind speeds and a shift towards northern winds. More than 50% of all dust samples collected exceed the health based deposition threshold and the most intense dust storm events reached ground level deposition rates of up to 150 g/m ² per hour. This study showed the impact of the Aralkum, but also that the Kyzylkum is a far more active dust source. With regard to climate change and an increasing aridity in the region it can be expected that the aeolian dust transport will continue to increase, making a wide-spread monitoring program even more important.
... 1051/e3sconf/20199901003 CADUC 2019 and Taklamakan) with additional contributions by the Aral Sea basin. The phenomenal shrinking and desertification of the Aral Sea drives an intense salt and dust transport from the exposed sea-bed to the surrounding regions with important implications in the regional air quality due to the health-hazardous materials contained in the Aral Sea seabed [4]. In the southern parts of our study region desert dust particles originate from arid regions of the Iranian Plateau (such as Registan desert) and the Thar desert, located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. ...
Central and South Asia are regions of particular interest for studying atmospheric aerosols, being among the largest sources of desert dust aerosols globally. In this study we use the newest collection (C061) of MODIS - Aqua aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm and Ångström exponent (a) at 412/470 nm over the 15-year period between 2002 and 2017, providing the longest analyzed dataset for this region. According to our results, during spring and summer, high aerosol load (AOD up to 1.2) consisting of coarse desert dust particles, as indicated by a values as low as 0.15, is observed over the Taklamakan, Thar and Registan deserts and the region between the Aral and Caspian seas. The dust load is much lower during winter and autumn (lower AOD and higher a values compared to the other seasons). The interannual variation of AOD and a suggests that the dust load exhibits large decreasing trends (AOD slopes down to -0.22, a slopes up to 0.47 decade ⁻¹ ) over the Thar desert and large increasing trends between the Aral and Caspian seas (AOD and a slopes up to 0.23 decade ⁻¹ and down to -0.61 decade ⁻¹ , respectively.) The AOD data are evaluated against AERONET surface-based measurements. Generally, MODIS and AERONET data are in good agreement with a correlation coefficient (R) equal to 0.835.
... Of these indirect effects, one can mention the economic, psychological and long term indirect effects on human conditions (44). In the present review also some studies excluded measured the level of chemical and nonchemical substances by lake drying were transferred into human body through wind, water, and agricultural products because they did not assess any relationship between the substances and humans' health (45)(46)(47)(48)(49). Of course, that is another area for lake drying to affect human health and thus needs to be investigated. ...
Background:
One of the most important effects of many drying lakes in the world is increasing the emergence and outbreak of different diseases. For this sake, the present study aimed to systematically review the effects of lakes drying on human health.
Methods:
The present systematic review was designed and conducted in 2017. Data were gathered by searching the Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Knowledge databases, along with hand search of key journals and unpublished resources and contact with experts. There was no specific time span for the search.
Results:
Overall, 22 articles were selected with 20 articles about Aral Lake drying. Almost all studies were cross-sectional and retrospective. In 8 studies, the participants were children. Seventeen articles lakes drying have adverse effects on human health. Based on the type of effect, the studies were classified into 7 categories (respiratory problems, reproductive system problems, kidney and urological diseases, cancers, anemia, and diarrhea).
Conclusion:
Most studies depicted the harmful effects of lakes draught on human health; they had low level of evidence as they were mostly retrospective and cross-sectional. There is not enough evidence to accept or reject with high level of certainty the very effects of lakes drying on human health. To provide such evidence we suggest conducting middle and long term cohort and observational studies with scientific bases.
... The changes observed at the Aral Sea provide an example of the possible public health consequences of lakebed desiccation. The diversion of water for irrigation from the Aral Sea basin resulted in exposure of 36,000 square kilometer of former seabed over the course of 40 years (Micklin 1998) and created one of the highest dust deposition rates globally (O'Hara et al. 2000). However, the few studies of wind-blown dust and children's respiratory health in this region have been largely inconclusive. ...
Changing weather patterns, droughts and competing water demands are dramatically altering the landscape and creating conditions conducive to the production of wind-blown dust and dust storms. In California, such factors are leading to the rapid shrinking of the Salton Sea, a 345 mile2 land-locked "sea" situated near the southeastern rural border region known as the Imperial Valley. The region is anticipated to experience a dramatic increase in wind-blown dust and existing studies suggest a significant impact on the health and quality of life for nearby residents of this predominantly low-income, Mexican-American community. The discussion calls attention to the public health dimensions of the Salton Sea crisis. We know little about the possible long-term health effects of exposure to mobilized lakebed sediments or the numerous toxic contaminants that may become respirable on entrained particles. We draw on existing epidemiological literature of other known sources of wind-blown dust, such as desert dust storms, and related health effects to begin to understand the potential public health impact of wind-blown dust exposure. The increased production of wind-blown dust and environmental exposures to such non-combustion related sources of particulate matter are a growing health threat, due in part to drought coupled with increasing pressures on limited water resources. Recent population-based studies have linked dust storms with cardiovascular mortality, asthma hospitalization and decrease in pulmonary function in both adults and children. A growing number of studies provide evidence of the acute health effects of wind-blown dust exposures among children, which with repeated insults have the potential to influence respiratory health over time. The shrinking of the Salton Sea illustrates a public health and environmental justice crisis that requires action and attention to protect the health and well-being of local communities.
... The progressive desiccation of the Aral Sea was associated to an increased salinity and to the runoff of pesticides and fertilizers, extensively used in response to the decreased water supply to the Aral Sea and to the increased demand for cotton during the Soviet era. Consequently, toxic salts from the new emerged saline desert called Aralkum, were dispersed in dust and salt storms, to further increase levels of pesticides and fertilizers throughout the Aral Sea region and over (3)(4)(5). Airdust dispersion was favorited by meteorological characteristics of the Aral region, that is a windy area of the Central Asia characterized by intense and protracted winds, with a maximal speed of 20-25 m/sec. Satellite images indicated that the dust rain may spread to a maximal distance up to 620-700 km, moving a volume of toxic salts and dust corresponding to 100-130 million tons (6,7). ...
The disaster of the Aral Sea is one of the biggest environmental problem for the central Asia. The extinction of the Aral Sea began in the 60’s, as a consequence of the excessive water consumption for cotton fields irrigation. Pesticides, as the γ-hexachlorohexane (HCH) or Lindane, were used to increase cotton yields. After sea shrinkage, the infertile soil contaminated with pesticide residues dispersed salts and toxicants in the atmosphere. Due to intense winds, toxic salty dust poisoned the population around the Aral Sea, with severe health problems. Lindane, recently classified as carcinogenic to humans, showed endocrine disrupting activity. Unfavorable outcomes on pregnancy and birth seems to be due by alterations in meiotic spindle formation, polar body extrusion, embryonic development. This article revises the grave situation of the Aral Sea region on the human’s and animal’s health, with regard to the effects of Lindane exposure on female reproduction and fertility.
... Small particles can travel from ≈500 km (particle sizes between 10 and 20 µm) to thousands of kilometers (particle sizes <10 µm) during moderate wind storms (Pye, 1987). Moreover, in a sediment sample, the largest amounts of pesticides are normally adsorbed to the fine particles (O'Hara et al., 2000;Agassi et al., 1995). Their contents in these particles can also be much higher than those in the parent topsoil (Clymo et al., 2005). ...
Glyphosate is the most used herbicide in agricultural lands worldwide, with more than 825 000 tons sold globally in 2014. Such great use is mostly a result of the introduction of glyphosate-resistant (GR) crops in 1996 by Monsanto company. Loess soils, on the other hand, are amongst the most productive and fertile soils and, consequently, are intensively used for agriculture and to grow GR crops. Consequently, they are heavily subject to the application of glyphosate-based herbicides every year.
Despite being the most used pesticide worldwide, the environmental fate of glyphosate and its main metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) is still not well understood. Therefore, this PhD thesis aims at better understanding the environmental fate of glyphosate and AMPA in the loess soil environment. Special focus is given to: 1) the decay kinetics of glyphosate and the formation and decay kinetics of AMPA; and 2) the off-site transport of glyphosate and AMPA associated to the particle-bound phase, as a result of wind and water erosion. These processes were studied under laboratory and field conditions. The field study was performed in agribusiness fields of the loess Pampas of Argentina.
The results of this PhD thesis have shown that: 1) the decay of glyphosate and AMPA in loess soils is mostly a microbiological process and is fastest under warm and moist soil conditions and slowest under cold and dry soil conditions; 2) AMPA persists longer in loess soil than glyphosate, and tends to accumulate; 3) the type of decay kinetics followed by glyphosate in loess soils is mostly temperature dependent, but abrupt soil moisture changes from dry to moist also play a role; 4) glyphosate degradation into AMPA was extremely variable (5-100%) amongst different temperature conditions and between laboratory and field conditions; 5) glyphosate and AMPA contents are highest in eroded soil particles <10 µm (PM10) and, consequently, their long-range off-site transport risk with wind erosion (dust) is very high: 6) during water erosion events, the particle-bound transport of glyphosate and AMPA is as or even more important than the water-dissolved transport; and 7) the risk of deposition of glyphosate and AMPA into off-target downslope fields during water erosion events can be considerable.
It is concluded that repeated glyphosate applications, particularly under dry soil conditions, increase the risk of accumulation of glyphosate and AMPA in loess soils and, consequently, of on-site soil pollution and off-site transport with wind and water erosion.
... Windblown salt and dust from the desiccated lake bed had negative effects on agriculture in a wide zone downwind of the basin. Impacts on human health (in addition to those experienced via loss of employment in the fishery and transport sectors) included respiratory infections exacerbated by windblown salts, as well as an increased incidence of cancers and other conditions potentially related to exposure to the heavy metals and pesticides associated with industrial farming operations [52]. ...
Since the early 20th century, “desert reclamation” has been synonymous with large-scale waterworks and irrigation. These techniques have made it possible to produce abundant crops in arid or semi-arid environments. The costs have often been externalized, with increased environmental productivity in the new croplands counterbalanced by increased aridity elsewhere. In this paper I consider whose interests are served by such projects, and what kinds of social constructions of the natural and human environment make them possible. I focus on the Turkana basin, a watershed spanning the Ethiopian and Kenyan borders, where large dams and irrigation projects are currently being established with the goal of producing cash crops and hydro-electricity. In the narratives of the projects’ proponents, the schemes are represented as part of a tradition of development stretching back to the American West. In the discourse of critics, the Aral Sea of Central Asia is frequently invoked. Considering Turkana in relation to these cases sheds light on the political and ecological gambits involved in desert reclamation, and helps us to understand the costs and benefits of such projects.
The wearing of respirators has significantly increased over the last years mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The prolonged wearing of respirators may have impacted the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) of the consumer. The scientific community has been attempting to understand the possible influential factors behind it. Unfavorable environmental factors may play a significant role in influencing the HRV for prolonged wearing of the respirators , mainly due to air pollution, and high concentrations of toxic metals and organochlorine compounds in the blood. Hence, this study aims to investigate the influence of unfavorable environmental conditions on the HRV parameters for prolonged wearing of N95 respirators. The study cohort was selected from the young volunteers living in the Aral Sea region, which is infamous for unfavorable environmental conditions due to dust storms with toxic particles, soil salinity, and high usage of pesticides. The study cohort consisted of 1110 male volunteers aged 19-22 and divided into two groups, inhabitants from unfavorable environment (North group) and inhabitants from unaffected environmental conditions (South group). HRV parameters of RMSSD, SDNN, pNN50, HF, LF/HF, SI, SBP, DBP, and SpO2 were measured and statistically compared in two stages, without wearing N95 respirators and while wearing an N95 mask for a 30-40 min period. Our analysis showed a significant increase in RMSSD, SDNN, pNN50 %, and HF parameters while wearing an N95 mask for a 30-40 min period in both groups. SI and LF/HF ratio shows a significant increase while wearing N95 in the «North » group and SI and LF/HF ratio decreased in the «South » group. The prevalence of distribution of subjects having SI more than 150 conv. units while wearing N95 marks in the «North » group were significantly higher compared to the «South » group. Autonomic tone reactivity to the N95 respirators was found in the «North » group in the form of an increase in sympathetic activity. We can conclude that the features of autonomic tone reactivity to wearing N95 respirators were found in the subjects from the environmentally unfavorable regions in the form of measuring the autonomic nervous system imbalance in favor of the increase in SNS activity. This observation is possibly related to the effects of organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals on the human nervous system in the participants living in unfavorable regions of the Aral ecological disaster.
The Aralkum is a new desert created by the desiccation of the Aral Sea since the 1960s, and is an efficient source of dust aerosol which may perturb the regional Central Asian radiation balance. COSMO-MUSCAT model simulations are used to quantify the direct radiative effects (DREs) of Aralkum dust, and investigate the associated perturbations to the atmospheric environment. Considering scenarios of ‘Past’ and ‘Present’ defined by differences in surface water coverage, it is found that in the Present scenario the yearly mean net surface DRE across the Aralkum is -1.34±6.19 W m-2, of which -0.15±1.19 W m-2 comes from dust emitted by the Aralkum. Meanwhile in the atmosphere the yearly mean DRE is -0.62±2.91 W m-2, of which -0.05±0.51 W m-2 comes from Aralkum dust: on the yearly timescale Aralkum dust is cooling both at the surface and in the atmosphere. The daytime surface cooling effect (solar zenith angle ≲70–80°) outweighs both the nighttime heating effect and the corresponding atmospheric daytime (solar zenith angle ≲60–70°) heating and nighttime cooling effects. Instantaneous Aralkum dust DREs contribute up to -116 W m-2 of surface cooling and +54 W m-2 of atmospheric heating. Aralkum dust perturbs the surface pressure in the vicinity of the Aralkum by up to +0.76 Pa on the monthly timescale, implying a strengthening of the Siberian High in winter and a weakening of the Central Asian Heat Low in summer.
We studied and reconstructed a severe Central Asian dust storm of November 4, 2021, through high-resolution TROPOMI UVAI spaceborne observations, ground-based aerosol measurements, and Lagrangian particle modeling. The dust storm was caused by the front part of a cold polar anticyclone front from the Ural-Volga regions, which struck the central and eastern parts of Uzbekistan under favorable atmospheric conditions. Two plumes spread out, causing a thick haze to blanket the region. The most severe dust storm effects hit the capital of Uzbekistan (Tashkent) and the Fergana Valley, where the thick atmospheric dust layer dropped the visibility to 200 m. PM10 concentrations reached 18,000 µg/m³ (260-fold exceedance of the local long-term average). The PM2.5 concentrations remained above 300 µg/m³ for nearly ten days, indicating an extremely long-lasting event. The dust storm was caused by an extremely strong summer heatwave of 2021 in Kazakhstan with unprecedentedly high temperatures reaching 46.5 °C. The long-lasting drought dried up the soil down to 50 cm depth, triggering the soil cover denudation due to drying out vegetation and losing its moisture. This event was the worst since 1871 and considering the increasing aridity of Central Asia, the onset of potentially recurring severe dust storms is alarming.
The Aral Sea disaster is a textbook example for the demise of an entire region through the unsustainable use of natural resources. Owing mainly to the excessive extraction of water for irrigation from its main tributaries, the surface of the lake shrank
by more than 60% in the space of a few decades. The once prosperous region turned into an environmental, economic and social disaster zone. The present book provides an overview of technical assistance programs funded by the Federal Republic of Germany and implemented by GTZ (now GIZ, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) until 2010. The overall goal of the programs was to assist Aral Sea countries in mitigating and managing adverse ecological, economic and
social impacts of the disaster.
(High resolution English version and Russian language version available from Ralf Peveling)
The dried bed of the Aral Sea is located mainly in flat and undulating ridged plains. The main soil type is solonchaks with different types, and sands, and meadow-floodplain-meadow soils. Soil environment is alkaline (7.3–8.2). The absorption capacity is saturated with calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Soil texture is loamy and sandy loamy. Carbonates were varied between 5.6% and 11.5%. The humus content in the solonchaks varied from 0.6% to 1%, and other soil contents from 0.2% to 1.3%. Soils in the dried seabed are saline and strongly saline. Salts are mostly concentrated in surface layer (0–20 cm) up to >16%. The chemistry of soil salinization is chloride-sulfate and sulfate-chloride. The soils are contaminated mainly with heavy metals as Cd and Zn.KeywordsSolonchaksSandsSaline soilsHumusSoil textureCarbonatesHeavy metals
Since the 1960s, the Aral Sea has been shrinking due to irrational irrigation. In 1989, the sea was separated into Big and Small Aral seas. From 1960 to 2020, the seawater surface area has shrunk by 10 times. Now only Big Aral Sea has left and rest part of the former sea is a salty desert – Aralkum. The desert is considered as a potential source of storms with salt, dust, and sand particles. The highest amount of dust transport was observed at Uialy, Zhusaly, and Kyzylorda weather stations, from 1143 tons km−1 year−1 to 2684 tons km−1 year−1, respectively.KeywordsAral SeaAralkumShrinkageWater salinityDust and salt storms
Sand and dust storms are hazardous to the environment and have a significant role in desertification. Under the influence of climate change and human activities, dust storms and aeolian processes have been common phenomena in the Southern Balkash deserts in Kazakhstan, Central Asia. However, knowledge gaps on spatial and temporal characteristics of dust storms and aeolian process in the Southern Balkash deserts still exist. Therefore, in present study, meteorological observations and numerous cartographic materials were used to identify the powerful sources with the highest frequency of dust storms and aeolian processes in the Southern Balkash deserts. The result showed that the Southern Balkash deserts were covered mainly by transverse parabolic sands (48%), dome dunes (24%), and transverse dome dunes (23%), where the aeolian processes occurred to a significant degree. Significant and strong degrees of aeolian processes occurred in most of the Southern Balkash deserts. The eastern part of the Taukum and the northern part of the Zhamankum and Karakum deserts were prone to aeolian processes to a substantial degree. The Moiynkum, Bestas, Saryesikatyrau, and Taukum deserts had the most frequent storms, occuring, on average, 17 to 43 days/per year. The occurrence of dust storms has been of a stable decreasing trend since the 1990s, except for 2008–2009. Aeolian dust in the Southern Balkash deserts flowed mainly from the western and southwestern to the eastern and northeastern. The results of the present study shed light on the temporal and spatial characteristics of dust storms and aeolian processes in the Southern Balkash deserts. This is of great importance in helping to monitor and predict dust storms and motion patterns of aeolian dust in this region.
Uncertainties around deforestation influences on vector-borne disease transmission and prevalence means that varieties of forest management techniques must be included in evaluations of health management policies.This commentary presents ideas for improving malaria management policy in marginal communities, where both elimination of health inequalities and mangrove restoration are desirable interventions. It relies on results of novel application of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) on causal relationships influencing malaria incidence in Ghana. Restoration-related mangrove conditions were investigated alongside the predominant vector control strategies.QCA findings show ecological conditions of temperature reduction, improved water quality, arrest of mangrove land conversion and presence of biological control agents combining diversely to amplify impacts of personal protective measures, especially insecticide treated net usage. The viewpoint is that ecosystem and health mangers must collaborate in capacity building, trend monitoring and creation of new knowledge to ensure that cross-sector benefits are sufficiently addressed in policy reforms. Further research required to reveal how mangrove presence and/or restoration affect malaria parasite prevalence and transmission dynamics in mangrove mosquitoes, to identify pathways for modifying and tailoring vector-control strategies to suit needs in mangrove communities.QCA could be a valuable causal inference technique for bringing clarity to nature-health relationships because it makes room for analysis of 'conjunctural' impacts of non-nature conditions.
The dried Aral seabed is a newly developed anthropogenic salty desert (Aralkum). It is a catastrophic region for all of Central Asia, including Kazakhstan. This research allows us to obtain a better understanding of the transported material properties from the dried seabed during soil deflation caused by storms. The seabed is mainly flat plains and undulating ridge plains. The main soil types of the desert are saline soils, including different kinds of solonchaks and sands. The soil texture is sandy loam, and the soils are calcareous and alkaline (pH 7.7–8.6). Carbonates in the soils range from 4.86 to 8.51%, and the soils are susceptible to deflation processes. The humus content in soils is very low (< 2%). The soil cover is contaminated with heavy metals such as Cd, Zn, Cu, and Mn, which can lead to air/water pollution and vegetation/soil degradation. The monitoring of climatic parameters has indicated aridification in the region. The mean monthly temperature and potential evaporation in the region increased by 2 °C (23.81%) and 76 kg m−2 (7.81%), respectively, from 1986 to 2020.
Buyuk Britaniya hukumati Oliy ta'limni rivojlantirishning eng istiqbolli yo'nalishlaridan biri
sifatida asosiy darajaga alohida ahamiyat beradi: Britaniya oliy ta'lim tizimi o'ziga xos ish beruvchiga
yo'naltirilgan bo'lib, uning haqiqiy talablariga moslashadi. Masalan, ba'zi bir daraja dasturlari aniq
korxonalarning talabiga binoan tuziladi. Shunday qilib, Buyuk Britaniyada oliy ta'limni rivojlantirish
tendensiyalaridan biri bu sanoat va savdo ehtiyojlarini qondirish va ularni yuqori malakali kadrlar
bilan imkon qadar tezroq ta'minlashga intilishdir
The formation of the Aralkum (Aral Desert), following the severe desiccation of the former Aral Sea since the 1960s, has created what may be regarded as one of the world's most significant anthropogenic dust sources. In this paper, focusing on dust emission and transport patterns from the Aralkum, the dust life‐cycle has been simulated over Central Asia using the aerosol transport model COSMO‐MUSCAT (COnsortium for Small‐scale MOdelling‐MUltiScale Chemistry Aerosol Transport Model), making use of the Global Surface Water data set to take into account the sensitivity to changes in surface water coverage over the region between the 1980s (the “past”) and the 2010s (the “present”). Over a case study 1‐year period, the simulated dust emissions from the Aralkum region increased from 14.3 to 27.1 Tg year⁻¹ between the past and present, an increase driven solely by the changes in the surface water environment. Of these simulated modern emissions, 14.5 Tg are driven by westerly winds, indicating that regions downwind to the east may be worst affected by Aralkum dust. However a high degree of interannual variability in the prevailing surface wind patterns ensures that these transport patterns of Aralkum dust do not occur every year. Frequent cloud cover poses substantial challenges for observations of Central Asian dust: in the Aralkum, over two‐thirds of the yearly emissions are emitted under overcast skies, dust which may be impossible to observe using traditional satellite or ground‐based passive remote sensing techniques. Furthermore, it is apparent that the pattern of dust transport from the Aralkum under clear‐sky conditions is not representative of the pattern under all‐sky conditions.
The rapid drying of the Aral Sea has led to a series of complex environmental changes and a large amount of aeolian dust have been swept up from the exposed bottom. This study used a wind erosion model and the Hysplit model to investigate emission and transport characteristics of the Aral Sea dust. The spatial pattern of dust emission was determined by quantifying the surface conditions. The total source area in the Aral Sea region exceeds 27,000 km², with annual average dust emission of up to 87.6 Tg from 2010 to 2020. The main source of dust was found to be in the eastern Aral Sea basin. The spatial pattern of dust emission in a year was seasonal and the highest value and the widest spatial range occurred in spring. Modeling of a dust event on March 22, 2020 showed that PM10 dust emitted from the Aral Sea region can be transported over 4,000 km, and the area of land surface affected was more than 6.21 × 10⁶ km². The potential impact area of the Aral Sea dust was mapped by the numerical simulations for the past 24 severe dust storms, which indicates that the Aral Sea dust can reach the Arctic Ocean, Iran, the Atlantic Ocean through France, and the Pacific Ocean through Japan, covering a land area of more than 38.5 × 10⁶ km².
Determining the controls on aeolian dust emissions from major sources is necessary for reliable quantification of atmospheric aerosol concentrations and fluxes. However, ground‐based measurements of dust emissions at‐source are rare and of generally short duration, failing to capture the annual cycle. Here, we provide new insights into dust dynamics by measuring aerosol concentrations and meteorological conditions for a full year (July 2015–June 2016) at Etosha Pan, Namibia, a globally significant dust source. Surface deployed field instrumentation provided 10‐min averaged data on meteorological conditions, aerosol concentration (mg/m³), and horizontal dust flux (g/m²/min10). A Doppler lidar provided additional data for some of the period. 51 significant dust events were identified in response to strong E‐ENE winds. We demonstrate that these events occurred throughout the year and were not restricted to the austral winter, as previously indicated by satellite observations. Peak horizontal flux occurred in the spring (November) due to strengthening erosive winds and highly desiccating conditions increasing surface erodibility. We identify a strong seasonal differentiation in the meteorological mechanisms controlling dust uplift; low‐level jets on dry winter mornings (61% of all events), and cold pool outflows in humid summer evenings (39% of events). Significantly, we demonstrate a very strong bias toward the contribution of low frequency and high magnitude events, with nearly 31% of annual horizontal dust flux generated by only 6 individual events. Our study demonstrates how longer‐term (≈1 year), ground‐based, and at‐source field measurements can radically improve interpretations of dust event dynamics and controls at major source locations.
The regression and salinization of the Aral Sea, largely caused by water diversion for irrigation, is among the most severe ecological disasters of the 20th century, and has had severe health and economic consequences for the local population. Introductions of alien species to enhance commercial fisheries before the regression had already impacted the ecology of this system. Crustaceans made up about one-quarter of the original metazoan species and constituted the principal food for native and introduced fish. From 1960 on, crustaceans were recorded at numerous fixed sampling stations, including thanatocoenoses (dead animals from sediment cores). We use this previously unpublished information to document changes in species abundance and discuss their causes in the context of species interactions and changes to physical and chemical parameters. Competition from alien crustaceans led to declines in or even extinction of some native species, but eventually severe salinization became the main detriment, and resulted in the complete collapse of commercial fisheries. This seriously hurt a critical trade, which provided the principal protein source for the local population. We document how comparatively modest conservation efforts enabled the northern Small Aral Sea to partially recover and commercial fishing to resume.
We live in unprecedented times - the Anthropocene - defined by far-reaching human impacts on the natural systems that underpin civilisation. Planetary Health explores the many environmental changes that threaten to undermine progress in human health, and explains how these changes affect health outcomes, from pandemics to infectious diseases to mental health, from chronic diseases to injuries. It shows how people can adapt to those changes that are now unavoidable, through actions that both improve health and safeguard the environment. But humanity must do more than just adapt: we need transformative changes across many sectors - energy, housing, transport, food, and health care. The book discusses specific policies, technologies, and interventions to achieve the change required, and explains how these can be implemented. It presents the evidence, builds hope in our common future, and aims to motivate action by everyone, from the general public to policymakers to health practitioners.
Climate change and desertification is a global problem, and Turkey and the Middle East region are among the mostly affected areas of the world. By the end of this century, Turkey and the Middle East region are expected to have an increased mean temperature about 3–5 °C and a 20–40% decline in precipitation. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) warns that desertification is likely to become irreversible, if the environment becomes drier and the soil becomes further degraded through erosion and compaction. According to United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), most of areas in Turkey are under desertification and/or high potential for desertification and only small parts of the areas in Turkey are non-risky places. Climate models predict a hotter, drier, and less predictable climate for the Middle East region, and degradation and desertification are expected to accelerate due to global warming. Climate change and desertification is acting as a risk for water loss, decline in agriculture, and loss of biodiversity. Climate change has a negative impact on human health by indirect effects including air, water, and food supplies and by direct effects especially on elderly, children, and chronically ill population. This chapter examines the potential impacts of climate change and desertification on the environmental parameters and human health in Turkey and the Middle East.
The rapidly intensifying climate change is an impending threat to mankind. Rising temperatures over the past century have resulted in more frequent and intense droughts and increased dust activity. North Africa is major hub of dust generation followed by central Asia and China. The source of dust is not only the local droughts, but it is also transported over long distances. Dust can significantly impact health of exposed population. While PM10 is inhalable, PM2.5 can penetrate the epithelium and sit in the tissues and PM1.0 can enter systemic circulation translocating to different organs. Dust exposure has been implicated in increased incidence and exacerbation of cardiopulmonary conditions including, pneumonia, pro-thrombotic state, and myocardial ischemia. Chronic exposure is associated with condition including silicosis, asthma, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and arsenic toxicity. Dust exposure is also associated with spikes in endemic infections including valley fever in the United States, meningitis in North Africa, and tuberculosis in India. African dust activity has been observed to accelerate algal blooms on the southeast coast of the United States, causing harm to marine and human life. In summary, the health effects of dust are far and wide in time and distance and significantly affect the health of exposed population.
Aeolian dust is a significant factor influencing the atmospheric environment in arid and semi-arid areas, and one which deeply involves biogeochemical cycling, energy exchange, and the global carbon balance. In this study, we investigated the synoptic features of atmospheric dust in the inland region of Central Asia and analyzed its spatiotemporal variation using meteorological observation records, satellite products from the Multi-angle Imagine SpectroRadiometer (MISR), and land use and land cover (LULC) data. Results showed that aeolian dust in Central Asia is particularly significant in the arid Aral Sea region where annual average dust event frequency reached 56 d during 1984–2018. Blowing dust and intense dust storms dominated the aeolian dust weather in Central Asia, which may severely affect the regional atmospheric environment and local inhabitants' health. Dust events occurred frequently in the Aralkum Desert, Kyzylkum Desert, Caspian Depression, Kara-Bogaz-Gol and, generally, along the southern and southeastern borders of Central Asia in spring, summer and autumn seasons; such events resulted in both high particulate matter (PM) concentrations and high dust deposition rates. Meanwhile, aeolian dust event frequency around the Aralkum Desert area, Caspian Depression, and Kara-Bogaz-Gol region increased gradually from the 1980s–2010s. The Aral Sea region's Aralkum Desert is the chief dust source in the Central Asian region, emitting vast quantities of saliferous mineral dusts that are then transported into East Asia by strong westerly jets.
Proper consumer attitude towards textile products and optimal post-consumer waste management of textile waste is connected with many benefits. Despite this fact, little research has been conducted on these topics. Textile waste represented mainly by donated textile from households and its material flow in waste streams mirrors the behaviour of our consumer society as well as new technologies in textile and fashion industry. More information about consumer attitude and behaviour toward textile and textile waste is needed to provide suitable waste management processes according to the hierarchy of waste management, such as re-use and energy recovery, and to ensure sustainable development and minimal impact on the worlds wellbeing. This study takes into account not only waste management of textile waste, but also tries to understand all textile issues in a wider perspective. Particularly fashion industry is connected with many negative ethical aspects (e.g. sweatshops), and many environmental issues are connected with overproduction of lower-quality textile products. Proper handling of post-consumer textile products is only one of the product life cycle stages to be solved. The main goal of this study is to discuss the results of a consumer attitude and behaviour questionnaire toward textile and textile waste from households in the Czech Republic. The study also includes partial hypotheses and an analysis of interest groups as other possible sources of information to form proper textile waste management policy tools and strategies.
Violation or neglect of human rights jeopardizes health by interfering with physical, mental, and social well-being. This chapter considers the relevance of human rights to public health as legal standards and obligations of governments, as a conceptual framework of analysis and advocacy, and as guiding principles for designing and implementing policies and programs. It recommends institutionalizing perspectives on social justice and human rights in all health-sector actions, monitoring implications of policies in all sectors that affect health, and building public consensus for equitable financing of healthcare. The authors assert that human rights principles provide a framework that can guide health workers and others in achieving social justice in health and that health workers should be aware that human rights norms, standards, laws, and accountability mechanisms are relevant tools to help achieve social justice in health. A text box focuses on promoting the rights of “undocumented immigrants” in the United States.
The desiccation of the Aral Sea ranks among the largest man-made ecological catastrophes and has become a global symbol for the overexploitation of limited resources and the environmental and socio-economic consequences caused thereby. Formerly the fourth largest inland lake, large parts of the Aral Sea have been transformed into a salty desert – the Aralkum. The exposed lake bed sediments are subject to wind erosion, resulting in white sand and dust storms which have been tracked over several hundred kilometres using remote sensing images. Dust deposition data, on the other hand, requires excessive field work over prolonged periods of time and thus is scarce. But this kind of ground-based monitoring provides valuable insights into the physical and chemical composition of the transported material. The dust transported from the Aralkum contains, among other things, salts, heavy metals and agrochemicals deposited in the Aral Sea over decades. It can contribute to soil salinization, damage crops and technical infrastructure and impair the human health in the region surrounding the Aralkum, making the analysis of the aeolian dust deposition highly relevant. In the study presented here passive dust deposition data from 23 meteorological stations in the Turan lowland have been collected between 2003 and 2012 and analyzed for their grain size, mineralogical, and chemical characterization in order to identify the influence the newly formed Aralkum has on the Central Asian dust dynamic.
Social costs and benefits are costs imposed on society or benefits that society obtains that are not taken into account in market decisions. The social costs and benefits, in being external to markets, are known as ‘externalities’. Competitive markets are not efficient in the presence of externalities and market corrections are required. The corrections can in principle be made without government involvement, but usually externality problems require public policy. Prominent externalities involve the environment, education, public health, and crime.
Contents: (1) Attributes of externalities; (2) Common private ownership as a solution for externalities; (3) The Coase Theorem; (4) Public policy to address externalities; (5) Domestic politics and environmental policy; (6) International trade and the environment; (7) The global environment; (8) The theory of the second best - monopoly and the environment (9) Summary; (10) Conclusions; (11) References; (12) Questions for discussion
The Aral Sea Basin is located on the territory of Central Asia and in the center of Eurasian continent. Central Asia is a vast and landlocked region in Asia. Despite some uncertainty of its borders, the general characteristics of this region are singled out; in particular, Central Asia has historically been associated with the nomadic peoples inhabiting there and the Great Silk Road. Central Asia has always acted as a place where people, goods, and ideas converged from different ends of the Eurasian continent: Europe, the Middle East, South and East Asia.
Packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography (pSFC) using ultra-violet (UV) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) mass spectrometry (MS) provides a versatile method for the identification and quantification of beta-agonists. We have achieved good separation of clenbuterol, salbutamol, terbutaline and fenoterol with good resolution and reasonable retention times using a high concentration of methanol modifier in the supercritical CO2, together with small amounts of both acidic (trifluoroacetic acid, TFAA) and basic (triethylamine, TEA, or diethylamine, DEA) additives. APCI-MS gave unambiguous identification of the 4 analytes, and increasing cone voltage provided informative fragmentation patterns. The pSFC-MS technique was shown to be linear (R2 > or = 0.996) over the concentration range 1-50 micrograms ml-1. Single ion monitoring (SIM) gave detection limits (on-column) of 2.5 ng (clenbuterol), 0.83 ng (terbutaline), 7.6 ng (salbutamol) and 2.7 ng (fenoterol). The pSFC-MS system was shown to be reproducible within a day, between days, and between restrictors. Analysis of milk samples 'spiked' with beta-agonists showed that the matrix caused no interference, with detection limits of approximately 500 micrograms l-1 of beta-agonists. More dilute solutions could be analysed by pre-concentration before the SFC stage.
Turkmenistan: United Nations Development Program
- Ashagabat
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The analysis of -agonists by packed-column supercritical field chromatography
- Jones Dc K Dost
- Davidson G George
- Mw
Jones DC, Dost K, Davidson G, George MW. The analysis of -agonists by packed-column supercritical field chromatography. The Analyst 1999; 124: 827–31.
Report of the Scientific Research Institute of Pediatry, Ministry of Health
- F M Chamsiev
- T A Kuznetsov
- A K Nazarov
- A Ikmatova
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The analysis of ß-agonists by packed-column supercritical field chromatography
- Jones