# Presentation: 005485

## A Cooperative Transboundary Water Monitoring Project in Central AsiaThe “NAVRUZ” Experiment

- Amir H. Mohagheghi
- Sandia National Laboratories
- http://www.sandia.gov

- Sandia is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed martin Company,for the United States Department of Energy under contract
- DE-AC04-94AL86000

- Sandia National Laboratories

- 11/4/2001

## Co-Authors

- David Barber, SNL, CMC Central Asia Program Manager
- Melecita Archuleta, SNL, Analytical Chemistry Project Leader
- David Betsill, SNL, Technical Manager
- Howard Passell, SNL, Ecologist
- Sonoya Shanks, SNL, Nuclear Engineer
- Bekhzad S. Yuldashev, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Tashkent, Uzbekistan (see report at www.cmc.sandia.gov)

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## Presentation Outline

- The Cooperative Monitoring Center
- The NAVRUZ Experiment
- Analytical Methods
- Preliminary Results
- Conclusions

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## The Cooperative Monitoring Center at Sandia National Labs

- Mission: The CMC promotes international cooperation through technology for a more peaceful world.

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## The Cooperative Monitoring Center at Sandia National Labs

- The CMC promotes communication by hosting visiting scholars, workshops, and training programs.
- Current focus areas include designing  monitoring systems in the Middle East, South Asia, Northeast Asia, Central Asia, and Russia.

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## Central Asia Program

- The Central Asia program promotes regional cooperation to strengthen non-proliferation efforts in the Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
- The program brings scientists from leading institutes within Central Asia together to demonstrate how collaboration and transparency can help resolve environmental and other regional concerns.

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## Slide 7

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## The NAVRUZ Experiment

- In March, 2000 the scientists from four institutes in the Central Asia Republics of  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and the Cooperative Monitoring Center of Sandia National Laboratories embarked on a three-year cooperative transboundary river monitoring experiment.

- Participants at the August 2000 Meeting at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Ulugbek, Uzbekistan

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## The NAVRUZ Partners

- The Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences
- The Institute of Nuclear Physics, National Nuclear Center, Republic of Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan Association Institute on Non-Proliferation
- Atomic Energy Agency, the Tajik Academy of Sciences
- Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences, Kyrgyz Republic
- Monterey Institute, Newly Independent States Non Proliferation Project, United States
- Cooperative Monitoring Center, United States

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## The NAVRUZ Experiment

- The experiment monitors basic water quality parameters for radionuclides and metals in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers, and their major tributaries.
- These rivers are crucial for domestic, agricultural and industrial use throughout Central Asia.
- Contamination of these rivers is a result of  uranium mining, industry, and other activities.

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## Monitored Parameters

- Ecological Parameters (Water Flow Rate, Water Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Specific Conductivity, Salinity, TDS, Depth pH, and Redox Potential.
- Radionuclides (U-238 chain, Th-232 Chain, K-40, Sr-90, and fission & activation products).
- Core Metals (Be, Sb, As, Hg, Cd, and Pb).
- Gross Alpha/Beta (dropped after first year).

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## Sampling Plan

- Participating countries are collecting water, bottom sediment, vegetation and soil samples from a total of 60 stations  along the rivers.
- The samples are sent to laboratories in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan.
- Each country sends a set of samples from two locations to SNL for independent verification.
- Rio Grande samples are also taken and sent to SNL for analysis.

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## Sampling Locations

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## Field Sample Preparation

- Take 1 kg of soil near the river, dry, and homogenize.
- Take 1 kg of bottom sediment from the river, dry, and homogenize.
- Take 0.5 kg of vegetation near the river, mulch, dry, and homogenize.
- Take 5 Liters of water, filter to separate the suspended materials from dissolved, acidify the filtered water, and concentrate to 50 mL. Analyze both the concentrated water and the filter for suspended solids.

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## Collecting water samples from the Syr Darya upstream of Shyili, Kazakhstan

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## Uzbek Sampling Team

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## Zeravshan River sampling location near Samarkand, Uzbekistan

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## Howard Passell Lowering Hydrolab from bridge at Bernalillo

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## The Nurek Reservoir, Tajikistan

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## Vahsh River, Lower Nurek, Tajiskistan

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## Naryn River near the town of Tash-Kumyr, Kyrgyzstan

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## Sample Receipt and Login at Sandia National Laboratories

- The samples are checked against the Chain Of Custody (COC) form to ensure the correct number of samples and volumes are received
- Check for any problems (e.g. leakage, damage, etc.)
- Screen using a portable detector
- Log samples into the laboratory’s LIMS

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## Kazakhstan Samples Received	

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## Tajikistan Samples Received	

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## Sample Screening	

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## Gamma Spectroscopy with a Sample Changer

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## Efficiency Calibration Graph for 200 mL Solid Jar (1.75 g/cc)

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## Instrument Quality Control

- After calibration, each instrument is checked each work day by counting a source that contains Am-241, Cs-137, and Co-60 to confirm the validity of the initial energy, shape, and efficiency calibration
- The peak centroids, FWHM, and counts per second for the 60, 662, and 1333 keV peaks are recorded and monitored

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## Sample Preparation for Gamma Spectroscopy

- The dried homogenized soil, bottom sediment, and vegetation samples are placed and packed in a standard 500 mL Marinelli beaker or a 200 mL jar, depending on the available volume
- For water samples, 450 mL is placed in a Marinelli beaker
- For concentrated waters, a 5 mL aliquot is dried on a two inch planchet (representing 500 mL of the original sample)
- Filters are placed directly on the gamma spec unit

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## Sample Preparation

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## Example Spectrum

- K-40

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## ICP-MS (Perkins Elmer Elan 6100)

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## ICP-MS Sample Preparation

- One tenth of a gram of dried homogenized soil, vegetation, sediment (or a filter) is placed in a Teflon microwave vessel
- Add 5 mL of DI water, 1 mL of HCl acid, 3 mL of HF acid, and 5 mL of concentrated Nitric acid
- The sample is completely digested using high temperature (180 oC) and high pressure (120 PSI) in 10 minutes

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## Sample Preparation ...

- The sample is volumed up to 50 mL using DI water
- 5 mL is placed in a test tube and diluted to 25 mL and is analyzed by ICP-MS
- Water samples are analyzed directly
- Concentrated waters are diluted from 5 mL to 25 mL and analyzed

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## ICP-MS Components

- Sample
- Chamber

- Heating Coil
- (RF Coupled)

- Plasma

- Skimmer
- Cones

- Focusing
- Plates

- Mass
- Spectrometer

- Detector

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## Example Spectrum(DOE-EML Test Filter)

- U-238

- Pu-239

- U-235

- Th-232

- U-234

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## Preliminary Results, U-238 by Gamma Spec (based on Th-234)

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## Preliminary Results, Th-232

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## Preliminary Results, Be-7

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## Preliminary Results, Cs-137

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## Preliminary Results, K-40

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## Uranium Analysis by ICP-MS(Expected ratio for Natural U = 138)

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## Salt concentration (g/L) along the Syr Darya river (Uzbek Report) 

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## Gross Beta Activity (Bq/L) along the Syr Darya river (Uzbek Report) 

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## Gross Alpha Activity (Bq/L) along the Syr Darya river (Uzbek Report) 

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## Th (mg/kg) in bottom sediment along the Syr Darya river (Uzbek Report - measured by neutron activation) 

- Mountains                                              Aral-Sea

**NO SAMPLES**

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## Conclusions

- The initiative is highly successful in being able to get the CA countries interested in the concept and to conduct the monitoring experiment.
- Preliminary results indicate contamination in Tajikistan site 1 (Varzob River, 18 kilometers above Dushanbe), a Uranium mining and enrichment site.
- Isotopic analysis shows the U in sample from Tajik site 1 is natural (suggests contamination is due to mining, not enrichment activities).

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## Conclusions

- Uzbek data suggest contamination in three additional locations - a follow up study is needed to characterize the sites.
- There are too many uncontrolled parameters: As the project matures the focus needs to shift from logistics and team building to scientific analysis by standardizing the methods.

- Sandia National Laboratories

- 11/4/2001