Investigating Pesticide Contamination in Small Lakes in Khorezm, Uzbekistan

调查乌兹别克斯坦花拉子模小湖泊的农药污染PI：月桂Saito，内华达州里诺大学联合PI：Eric Marchand，内华达州里诺大学阿姆河的水转向灌溉运河，导致流量大大减少，因为河流接近咸海。花拉子模是乌兹别克斯坦饮用水供应最差的省份之一，也是乌兹别克斯坦农业生产最丰富的地区之一。花拉子模省的一个潜在的水资源，仍然在很大程度上未被研究是一系列的湖泊，接受农业径流在自然洼地的景观。北大西洋公约组织（北约）资助了一个项目，其总体研究目标是加强对花拉子模地区灌溉湖的潜在效用（或危害）的了解，以及根据其科学促进和平方案，人类活动对这些湖泊水生生态系统可持续性的影响。该项研究的有机污染物取样结果表明，尽管在1991年之前大量使用农药，但有机氯农药的浓度很低。我们将进行湖泊取样和微生物实验，以解决有关湖泊中农药降解过程的假设，以及湖泊的生态可持续性。此外，北约组织的项目资金不包括驻北约组织国家（此处指美国）的参与者的薪金或津贴。因此，该项目支持美国- 2009年，一名来自乌兹别克斯坦的研究生和一名兼职统计技术员与从事北约项目的乌兹别克青年科学家合作。拟议活动的智力价值包括通过了解这些以前未研究过的受灌溉径流影响的小湖泊中有机化学品的命运而获得的新科学知识，这可能对世界其他地区的湖泊产生影响。虽然该项目的重点是花拉子模的一小部分湖泊，但该研究对重农业使用地区的类似湖泊具有影响。过去和现在使用农药可能会对水生生态系统的可持续性产生不利影响，但这些湖泊可能提供了一个湖泊的例子，这些湖泊已经通过了一个门槛，因此它们可以再次成为生态和经济上富有成效的生态系统。这可以为世界其他地区的类似湖泊提供指导。由于这些都是浅水湖泊，有可变的沉积物成分，并有有限的取芯资源在这个偏远的环境中，我们将开发低成本的有效方法来恢复湖芯，这将是有用的其他人谁愿意做湖泊取芯在发展中国家的浅水湖泊。其他更广泛的影响包括该项目提供的培训学生进行国际合作和研究的极好和独特的机会。北约的项目已经涉及乌兹别克斯坦优秀、聪明的年轻科学家，而美国的一名年轻对应人员的加入将使新一代年轻科学家能够相互交流。因此，这项研究将加强乌兹别克斯坦和美国在水资源和生态系统管理方面的国际联系。

Investigating Pesticide Contamination in Small Lakes in Khorezm, UzbekistanPI: Laurel Saito, University of Nevada Reno Co-PI: Eric Marchand, University of Nevada RenoDiversion of Amu Darya River water to feed irrigation canals has resulted in greatly diminished flows as the river approaches the Aral Sea. One of the most poorly supplied provinces in Uzbekistan in terms of drinking water is Khorezm, which is also one of the most agriculturally productive regions of Uzbekistan. A potential water resource in the Khorezm province that remains largely unstudied is a series of lakes that receive agricultural runoff in natural depressions in the landscape. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has funded a project with an overall study objective of enhancing knowledge about the potential utility (or detriment) of irrigation lakes in the Khorezm region, and the impacts of anthropogenic activities on the sustainability of the aquatic ecosystems of these lakes under its Science for Peace program. Results of organic contaminant sampling from that study indicate very low concentrations of organochlorine pesticides despite a history of heavy pesticide usage prior to 1991. We will perform lake coring and microbial experiments to address hypotheses regarding processes of pesticide degradation in the lakes, and the ecological sustainability of the lakes. Furthermore, the NATO project funding does not include coverage of salaries or stipends for participants based in NATO countries (the United States in this case). Thus, this project supports a U.S.-based graduate student and a part-time statistical technician to collaborate with young Uzbek scientists working on the NATO project. The intellectual merit of the proposed activity includes the new scientific knowledge gained by understanding the fate of organic chemicals in these previously-unstudied small lakes impacted by irrigation runoff, which could lead to implications for lakes in other parts of the world. Although the project is focused on a small number of the lakes in Khorezm, the study has implications for similar lakes in areas of heavy agricultural use. Past and present use of pesticides can result in detrimental impacts on aquatic ecosystem sustainability, but these lakes may provide an example of lakes that have passed a threshold so they can once again become productive ecosystems both ecologically and economically. This could provide guidance for similar lakes in other parts of the world. Because these are shallow lakes that have variable sediment compositions, and there are limited coring resources in this remote environment, we will develop low-cost effective methods for recovering lake cores that will be useful for others who wish to do lake coring in shallow lakes in developing countries. Additional broader impacts include the excellent and unique opportunity provided by the project to train students for international collaboration and research. The NATO project already involves excellent, bright young scientists in Uzbekistan, and the inclusion of a young counterpart in the United States will enable the interaction of a new generation of young scientists. Thus, this research will enhance international linkages between Uzbekistan and the United States for water resources and ecosystem management.