Twelve-Year Monitoring Results of Radioactive Pollution in the Kazakh Part of the Syrdarya River Basin
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Published:
Oct 8, 2018
Keywords:
Syrdarya Kazakhstan River pollution Radioactive pollution Uranium industry
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Abstract
Assessment of radioactive pollution of the Syrdarya river was carried out. A large number of water samples were collected over a twelve-year period from three zones: upstream of uranium mines; around uranium mines; and downstream of the mines. Samples were analyzed for gross α-, β-activity and radionuclide concentrations. Gross α-activity exceeded the permissible level in almost every water sample. Both gross α- and β-activity in Baigekum village and PV-1 mine significantly exceeded safe levels throughout entire monitoring period. Concentrations of 230Th and 210Pb surpassed the national intervention levels in almost all water samples. In a number of samples from Baigekum village excessive concentration of 226Ra was observed. Furthermore, water samples collected from Tabakbulak in the spring of 2009 had extremely high levels of radionuclides. In general, elevated levels of radionuclides had been observed around the uranium mines and down the stream of Syrdarya since 2008-2009 when industrial-level production started at Zarechnoye, Khorasan and Irkol uranium deposits. The results suggest that radioactive pollution of Syrdarya in Kazakhstan is primarily caused by uranium mining activities. It is likely that the Syrdarya waters are not only unpalatable for human, but it may also not be suitable for household and agricultural use due to radioactive pollution.
Article Details
How to Cite
Zhanbekov, K., Akhmetov, A., & Vundo, A. (2018). Twelve-Year Monitoring Results of Radioactive Pollution in the Kazakh Part of the Syrdarya River Basin. Environment and Natural Resources Journal, 17(1), Page 44–53; DOI: 10.32526/ennrj.17.1.2019.05. Retrieved from https://ph02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ennrj/article/view/162148
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Original Research Articles
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2. All-Russian Research Institution of Physicotechnical and Radiotechnical Measurements (VNIIFTRI). Measurement procedure on gamma spectrometer. Moscow, USSR: VNNIIFTRI; 1991. (in Russian)
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7. Bersimbaev RI, Bulgakova O. The health effects of radon and uranium on the population of Kazakhstan. Genes and Environment 2015;37(18):1-10.
8. Besterekov U. Transboundary water pollution of the Syrdarya river by heavy metals. Proceedings of the Conference Dedicated to 70th Anniversary of South Kazakhstan State University named after M. Auezov; 2013 Oct 25-26; South Kazakhstan State University named after M. Auezov, Shymkent: Kazakhstan; 2013:190-5. (in Russian)
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17. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In situ leach uranium mining: an overview of operations. Vienna, Austria: IAEA; 2016.
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19. Jaireth S, McKay A, Lambert I. Association of large sandstone uranium deposits with hydrocarbons: the geology of uranium deposits in Kazakhstan points to similar deposits in Australia. Australian Government Geoscience Australia 2008;89:1-6.
20. Kadyrzhanov KK, Barber DS, Solodukhin VP, Poznyak VL, Kazachevskiy IV, Knyazev BB, Lukashenko SN, Khazhekber S, Betsill JD, Passell HD. Radionuclide contamination in the Syrdarya river basin of Kazakhstan: results of the Navruz project. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 2005; 263(1):197-205.
21. Kasper DR, Martin HW, Munsey LD, Bhappu RB, Chase CK. Environmental Assessment of In Situ Mining; Dec 1979; United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Mines; Open File Report 101-80;1979.
22. Kawabata Y, Aparin V, Nagai M, Yamamoto M, Shiraishi K, Katayama Y. Uranium and thorium isotopes from Kazakhstan. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 2008;278(2):459-62.
23. Kayukov PG. Ecological considerations related to uranium exploration and production. In: Salbu B, Skipperud L, editors. Nuclear Risks in Central Asia. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer; 2008. p. 219-23.
24. Kazatomprom. National Atomic Company of the Republic of Kazakhstan [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2018 Apr]. Available from: http://www.kazatomprom.kz/en
Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan. Sanitary-epidemiological requirements for radiation safety assurance; 2015 Feb 27; Decree 155; 2015. (in Russian)
25. Mudd G. An environmental critique of in situ leach mining: the case against uranium solution mining; Jul 1998; A Research Report for Friends of the Earth (Fitzroy) with the Australian Conservation Foundation; 1998.
26. Salishev KA. Development of maps. Moscow, USSR: MGU; 1987. (in Russian)
27. Satybaldiyev B, Tuovinen H, Uralbekov B, Lehto J, Burkitbayev M. Heavy metals and natural radionuclides in the water of Syr Darya River, Kazakhstan. In: Merkel B, Arab A, editors. Uranium - Past and Future Challenges. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Uranium Mining and Hydrogeology. Cham, Germany: Springer; 2015. p. 155-60.
28. Solodukhin VP, Poznyak VL, Kazachevskiy IV, Knyazev BB, Lukashenko SN, Khazhekber S. Some peculiarities of the contamination with radionuclides and toxic elements of the Syrdarya river basin, Kazakhstan. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 2004;259(2):245-50.
29. Törnqvist R, Jarsjö J, Karimov B. Health risks from large-scale water pollution: trends in Central Asia. Environment International 2011;37(2):435-42.
30. Turdybekova YG, Dosmagambetova RS, Zhanabayeva SU, Bublik GV, Kubayev AB, Ibraibekov ZG, Kopobayeva IL, Kultanov BZ. The health status of the reproductive system in women living in the Aral Sea region. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences 2015:3(3):474-7.
31. Tweeton DR, Peterson KA. Selection of lixiviants for in situ leach mining. In Situ Mining Research. Information Circular 8852. Bureau of Mines Technology Seminar; 1981 Aug 5; United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, Denver: USA; 1981.
32. World Health Organization (WHO). Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th edition. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 2011.
33. World Nuclear Association. Uranium and nuclear power in Kazakhstan (Updated February 2018) [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2018 Apr]. Available from: http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/ country-profiles/countries-g-n/kazakhstan.aspx
34. Yuldashev B, Salikhbaev U, Radyuk R, Djuraev A, Djuraev A, Vasiliev I, Tolongutov B, Alekhina V, Solodukhin V, Pozniak V, Littlefield AC. The Navruz project: Monitoring for radionuclides and metals in Central Asia transboundary rivers. End of year one reports, 2002 Sep. New Mexico, USA: Sandia National Laboratories; 2002.
35. Yuldashev BS, Salikhbaev US, Kist AA, Radyuk RI, Barber DS, Passell HD, Betsill JD, Matthews R, Vdovina ED, Zhuk LI, Solodukhin VP, Poznyak VL, Vasiliev IA, Alekhina VM, Djuraev AA. Radioecological monitoring of transboundary rivers of the Central Asian region. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 2005;263(1):219-28.
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