The Nuvruz Project: Monitoring for Radionuclides and Metals in Central Asia Transboundary Rivers End of Year One Reports

Abstract

The Navruz Project is a cooperative, transboundary, river monitoring project involving rivers and institutions in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan facilitated by Sandia National Laboratories in the U.S. The Navruz Project focuses on waterborne radionuclides and metals because of their importance to public health and nuclear materials proliferation concerns in the region. Data obtained in this project are shared among all participating countries and the public through an internet web site and are available for use in further studies and in regional transboundary water resource management efforts. Overall, the project addresses three main goals: to help increase capabilities in Central Asian nations for sustainable water resources management; to provide a scientific basis for supporting nuclear transparency and non-proliferation in the region; and to help reduce the threat of conflict in Central Asia over water resources, proliferation concerns, or other factors.The Navruz project has a duration of three years. This document contains the reports from each of the participating institutions following the first year of data collection. While a majority of samples from the Navruz project are within normal limits, a preliminary anaylsis does indicate a high concentration of selenium in the Kazakhstan samples. Uzbekistan samples contain high uranium and thorium concentrations, as well as elevated leves of chromium, antimony and cesium. Additionally, elevated concentrations of radioactive isotopes have been deteced at one Tajikistan sampling location. Further anaylsis will be published in a subsequent report.4

Twelve-Year Monitoring Results of Radioactive Pollution in the Kazakh Part of the Syrdarya River Basin

“…The presence of radionuclides in Central Asian Rivers drew attention of scientists due to the history of radioecological problems in the former USSR. The three-year Navruz project was designed to bring together Kazakh, Uzbek, Tajik and Kyrgyz scientists to perform radioecological monitoring of Syrdarya and Amudarya rivers (Yuldashev et al, 2002;Yuldashev et al, 2005). The analysis of transboundary radionuclide contamination of Syrdarya was based on water samples from 60 monitoring sites (15 in each country) and analyzed for radiation readings, 71 radionuclides and heavy metals (Barber et al, 2005).…”