Investigating Pesticide Contamination in Small Lakes in Khorezm, Uzbekistan

调查乌兹别克斯坦Khorezm小湖泊的农药污染pi: Laurel Saito，内华达大学里诺分校合作pi: Eric Marchand，内华达大学里诺分校阿姆河为灌溉渠引水导致河水在接近咸海时大幅减少。Khorezm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产量最高的地区之一。在Khorezm省，有一个潜在的水资源尚未得到研究，那就是一系列湖泊，这些湖泊从自然洼地中吸收农业径流。北大西洋公约组织（NATO）资助了一个项目，其总体研究目标是在其“科学促进和平”计划下，提高对Khorezm地区灌溉湖泊潜在效用（或危害）的认识，以及人类活动对这些湖泊水生生态系统可持续性的影响。该研究的有机污染物取样结果表明，尽管1991年以前有大量使用农药的历史，但有机氯农药的浓度非常低。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，北约项目经费不包括北约国家（在本例中是美国）的参加者的薪金或津贴。因此，该项目支持一名在美国的研究生和一名兼职统计技术人员与从事北约项目的年轻乌兹别克斯坦科学家合作。拟议活动的智力价值包括通过了解有机化学物质在这些以前未经研究的受灌溉径流影响的小湖泊中的命运而获得的新科学知识，这可能会对世界其他地区的湖泊产生影响。虽然该项目的重点是在Khorezm的少数湖泊，但这项研究对农业大量使用地区的类似湖泊具有启示意义。过去和现在使用杀虫剂可能对水生生态系统的可持续性造成有害影响，但这些湖泊可能提供了一个例子，说明湖泊已经超过了一个阈值，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。由于这些浅湖具有可变的沉积物组成，并且在这个偏远的环境中有有限的取心资源，我们将开发低成本有效的方法来恢复湖泊岩心，这将对希望在发展中国家的浅湖中进行湖泊取心的其他人有用。其他更广泛的影响包括该项目为培养学生进行国际合作和研究提供了极好的独特机会。北约的项目已经有乌兹别克斯坦优秀的、聪明的年轻科学家参与，美国的年轻同行的加入将使新一代年轻科学家的互动成为可能。因此，这项研究将加强乌兹别克斯坦和美国之间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.