Aral Sea, the impact of the environmental disaster on young people revealed

A study analyzed the consequences on the bodies of children living in Central Asia, in the areas affected by one of the most serious man-made environmental disasters.

What long-term consequences are there on the health of young people living in the areas affected by one of the most serious environmental disasters caused by humans?The researchers at the Electrotechnical University of Milan asked themselves this St. Petersburg and the “Berdakh” State University of Karakalpakstan, in Uzbekistan, who analyzed the repercussions on the bodies of boys and girls in the regions surrounding the now dried-up area Aral Sea, in Central Asia.

The disappeared sea

Located between Kazakhstan and theUzbekistan, the Aral Sea was once the fourth largest lake in the world, so large and salty that it was often referred to as the "sea".The exploitation of water resources initiated bySoviet Union in the 1960s for the intensive production of cotton however, it led to drying up of its waters, which have reduced by approximately ninety percent.

Today, in place of that sea, which until sixty years ago had a surface comparable to that of Ireland and a maximum depth of 42 metres, the Aralkum desert, loaded with toxic substances transported by agricultural wastewater.And so do pesticides, heavy metals and organochlorine compounds which they pollute the surrounding environment are profoundly altering the physical development of the boys and girls who live in the area.

The consequences of the drying up of the Aral Sea on children

According to the study, reported by the agency Tax, thetoxic environment that has formed is causing reduced growth of the human body's organisms, weaker physique development, and lower levels of reproductive hormones.

Apart from that, others studies they revealed that the number of cancers recorded in the area is practically double compared to other regions.

According to what the researchers reported, in fact, dust storms they spread every year in the surrounding area 75 million tons of sand impregnated with toxic salts, thus endangering the health of the inhabitants.

To evaluate the impact of ecological disaster on young people, researchers from the St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University and the “Berdakh” State University of Karakalpakstan they selected 609 volunteers aged between 18 and 25 from two areas near the former sea.

With this research, which sheds light on the consequences devastating human impact on the area, scholars hope to be able to find some solutions to limit the negative effects on the population.