Pollution with trace elements and rare-earth metals in the lower course of Syr Darya River and Small Aral Sea, Kazakhstan.
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| Title: | Pollution with trace elements and rare-earth metals in the lower course of Syr Darya River and Small Aral Sea, Kazakhstan. |
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| Authors: | Rzymski, Piotr1 (AUTHOR) rzymskipiotr@ump.edu.pl, Klimaszyk, Piotr2 (AUTHOR), Niedzielski, Przemysław3 (AUTHOR), Marszelewski, Włodzimierz4 (AUTHOR), Borowiak, Dariusz5,6 (AUTHOR), Nowiński, Kamil5 (AUTHOR), Baikenzheyeva, Ainur7 (AUTHOR), Kurmanbayev, Rakhat7 (AUTHOR), Aladin, Nikolai8 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Chemosphere. Nov2019, Vol. 234, p81-88. 8p. |
| Subjects: | Rare earth metals, World Health Organization, Trace elements, Water pollution, Pollution, Surface contamination, Metals |
| Geographic Terms: | Kazakhstan |
| Abstract: | Over recent decades the Aral Sea has faced a major human-driven regression leading to environmental, economic and health impacts. Previous research has indicated that its region may be highly polluted yet there is little recent data to assess the scale or nature of the pollution. The present study investigated the concentration of elements for which the World Health Organization (WHO) has established guideline levels (Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb) as well as 16 rare-earth elements (Ce, Eu, Er, Gd, La, Nd, Pr, Sc, Sm, Dy, Ho, Lu, Tb, Tm, Y, Yb) in the Small Aral Sea (SAS) and its inflow, the Syr Darya River (SDR). The latter displayed increased levels of Al (mean 851 μg L−1), As (35.8 μg L−1), Cd (2.8 μg L−1), Pb (10.1 μg L−1) and U (4.9 μg L−1), exceeding the guideline limits at selected sites. In the SAS these limits were exceeded at certain locations in the case of As and U. The total mean concentration of REEs in the SDR and SAS amounted to 22.6 and 61.7 μg L−1, respectively, with Pr, Ce and Nd constituting the greatest share. The concentrations of B, Ba Cr, Cu, Se and Ni were below the WHO guideline levels at all studied sites while Sb and Hg were always below detection limits. This research provides an updated status on the levels of contamination of the surface waters in the ecological disaster zone of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan. • Pollution of Syr Darya River (SDR) and Small Aral Sea (SAS) was studied. • Waters of SDR exceeded WHO guideline values for Al, As, Cd, Pb and U. • No pollution with Hg and Sb was detected. • Concentrations of B, Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni and Se fall below WHO guideline levels. • Increased levels of REEs, particularly Pr, Ce and Nd, were found in SDR and SAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
| Abstract: | Over recent decades the Aral Sea has faced a major human-driven regression leading to environmental, economic and health impacts. Previous research has indicated that its region may be highly polluted yet there is little recent data to assess the scale or nature of the pollution. The present study investigated the concentration of elements for which the World Health Organization (WHO) has established guideline levels (Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb) as well as 16 rare-earth elements (Ce, Eu, Er, Gd, La, Nd, Pr, Sc, Sm, Dy, Ho, Lu, Tb, Tm, Y, Yb) in the Small Aral Sea (SAS) and its inflow, the Syr Darya River (SDR). The latter displayed increased levels of Al (mean 851 μg L−1), As (35.8 μg L−1), Cd (2.8 μg L−1), Pb (10.1 μg L−1) and U (4.9 μg L−1), exceeding the guideline limits at selected sites. In the SAS these limits were exceeded at certain locations in the case of As and U. The total mean concentration of REEs in the SDR and SAS amounted to 22.6 and 61.7 μg L−1, respectively, with Pr, Ce and Nd constituting the greatest share. The concentrations of B, Ba Cr, Cu, Se and Ni were below the WHO guideline levels at all studied sites while Sb and Hg were always below detection limits. This research provides an updated status on the levels of contamination of the surface waters in the ecological disaster zone of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan. • Pollution of Syr Darya River (SDR) and Small Aral Sea (SAS) was studied. • Waters of SDR exceeded WHO guideline values for Al, As, Cd, Pb and U. • No pollution with Hg and Sb was detected. • Concentrations of B, Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni and Se fall below WHO guideline levels. • Increased levels of REEs, particularly Pr, Ce and Nd, were found in SDR and SAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00456535 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.06.036 |
