Contamination risk assessment of the Transboundary Zeravshan River using chemical and isotopic studies

Abstract

The results of chemical and isotope analyses of water of the Zeravshan River are presented. Results show that the low salinity of the river water in the upstream reach is formed mainly by water dissolution of minerals in natural rocks, i.e. the existence of a water-rock interaction process. The detection of heavy cations in the composition of the river water is due to their transport long distances in the form of microparticles by wind and accumulation in snow cover and glaciers. During the melting of snow and glaciers, and during rain events, pollutants are carried by streams, small rivers, and finally by Zeravshan River that distributes the pollutants over long distances.