Abstract
Thorough knowledge of hydrochemical characteristics and trace element concentrations in surface waters is crucial for protection of this resource, especially in arid regions. Uzbekistan lies in central, arid Central Asia, and is experiencing severe water scarcity as a consequence of warming climate and accelerated human impacts. Fifty-five surface water samples were collected from the Amu Darya Basin of Uzbekistan (ADBU) and measured for relevant variables, to determine hydrochemical characteristics and evaluate water quality. River water samples from the middle reach and Amu Darya Delta (ADD) were dominantly HCO3–Ca and SO4–Ca·Mg types, respectively, whereas water samples collected near the former shoreline and sewage outlets in the ADD were predominantly Cl–Ca·Mg and Cl–Na types, consistent with the distribution of sites that display high concentrations of trace elements and are seriously affected by human activities. Principal component analysis indicated that Pb and Cd in surface waters of the ADBU had industrial origins. Local agricultural activities are thought to have contributed to the concentrations of NO3, Zn, Ni, Hg, and Mn, through pesticide and fertilizer applications, and concentrations of Cu, Cr, As, and Co are controlled by mixed natural and anthropogenic sources. Water quality and health risk assessments indicated that unsuitable drinking waters are distributed mainly near the former shoreline and sewage outlets in the ADD, making human health risks in these areas high.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia for assistance with this work, and Huawu Wu and Beibei Shen for field and laboratory assistance. We also thank Mark Brenner for editorial help and three anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.
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The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41671200, and U2003202), and the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pan-Third Pole Environment Study for a Green Silk Road (XDA2006030101).
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Shuie Zhan: conceptualization, software, data curation, writing—original draft.
Jinglu Wu: funding acquisition; investigation; writing—review and editing; validation.
Miao Jin: investigation.
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Zhan, S., Wu, J. & Jin, M. Hydrochemical characteristics, trace element sources, and health risk assessment of surface waters in the Amu Darya Basin of Uzbekistan, arid Central Asia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 5269–5281 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15799-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15799-x