Blog 18: Aral Sea Source of Toxic Dust Storms

The Aral Sea in Central Asia previously received its water supply from two main rivers, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya. That was up until the 1950s when the Soviet Union diverted water flowing to the sea to support its massive irrigation projects aimed at increasing its cotton and rice production. The Aral Sea has shrunk in size by almost 75% since then, and what was once a site for thriving fisheries has also experienced greater than a three-quarter decline in fish harvests, rendering the sea's commercial fishing industry practically nonexistent. Decreased biodiversity played a significant role in this. As the Aral Sea becomes smaller and smaller, its salt and mineral concentrations increase, resulting in dramatic drops in the populations of its native fish species that can no longer survive in the increasingly saline water. The shrinkage in size of the sea exposes large amounts of its lake bed, composed of dust polluted with harmful pesticides from the nearby irrigation practices and toxic levels of salt and other minerals. Strong winds that blow across this area of Asia stir up the dust and carry it across the land, causing respiratory problems and lung disease in those exposed to the toxic dust. Additionally, people in this area also suffer from a lack of clean drinking water.

http://www.jcu.edu.au/jrtph/vol/v01whish.pdf
http://www.aralsea.org

Aerial comparisons of the Aral Sea in 1989 (left) and 2008 (right).