Mailuu-Suu: Case of the impending threat of radioactive decay in Central Asia
Out of the over 700 nuclear tests the Soviet Union has conducted, the vast majority were situated in central Asian countries Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan due to their sparse populations and vast steppes. The next problem was disposing of the radioactive byproducts of these tests. Kyrgyzstan, also with a small number of inhabitants and a similar climate, provided as a dumping ground for decades, accumulating almost 10,000 metric tons (PureEarth, 2024) of uranium between the years 1946 and 1968. Twenty-three of the dumps (called tailings) were concentrated around a small region called Mailuu-Suu.
Due to a lack of maintenance and usage, the plants and disposal sites fell into disrepair. These Soviet relics now pose a risk to the inhabitants of the region. Earthquakes and mudslides, common to the region, destabilise the already strained facilities, each time placing them closer and closer to a complete structural collapse. Should this happen, heaps of deadly isotopes will seep into the water supply, damaging crops, livestock and communities. Not only does this have the potential to cause an ecological catastrophe, but it will greatly damage the fields that the farmers rely on for their livelihoods. Kyrgyzstan is the breadbasket of Asia, cultivating wheat, apples and potatoes to supply to other countries. If the waste drains as far as the Fergana Valley, it will wreak havoc on Uzbekistan and Tajikistan’s precious soil, affecting the lives of 16 million people (24kg, 2018).
Kyrgyzstan has a history with climate gradually wearing down its fragile tailings. In 1958, torrential rains and seismic activity led to a tailing caving in, sending 400,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste travelling as far as the villages of Uzbekistan. History repeated itself in 2005 when another 300,000 metric tons of uranium flowed into the same river after a landslide. These periodic structural failures have strained the relationship between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
While some of the radioisotopes have decayed into less dangerous elements over the years, overwhelming evidence exists concerning the devastating effects of nuclear waste on the surroundings. The atomic agency of Uzbekistan found that radioactivity levels in rivers are twice as high as those in autumn due to the torrential rains moving water from tailings and landfills. It was discovered that even human placentas have radiation levels of 1 milligram per kilogram of uranium in the Mailuu Suu town, as opposed to the normal concentration of 0.006. Further studies backed up the claims of radioactive rivers by showing that those who drank from the river had radiation levels twice as high as those who did not.
Multiple solutions are currently being proposed and implemented by various parties. An interstate solution between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan includes exchanging of information on the Mailuu Suu river. The Russian government-owned company Rosatom is currently recultivating the irradiated land. Recultivation is a process by which degraded land is returned to its original productive state. This may include loosening the soil, adding organic nutrients, or reshaping the landscape to prevent erosion. This is a costly and time-consuming process - requiring clearing out the waste disposal sites reintroducing native flora. It usually occurs on a timescale of up to 10 years. PureEarth, a non-profit environmental organisation devoted to battling mercury and arsenic pollution, have provided water filters and technical assistance to the residents of Mailuu-Suu. Additionally, they have established an educational campaign, advising locals to wash their hands thoroughly, sweeping away dust and shredding food before storing it in the fridge - all methods to minimise radiation exposure.
Workers cordon off a radioactive area in Mailuu-Suu. Photo taken by PureEarth
The disintegrating tailings are not only a stark reminder of the tense arms race between the USA and the Soviet Union, but a testament to the fragility of our economies and ecosystems. The reconstruction, subsequent bankruptcies and mismanagement have collectively taken their toll on these tailings and pushed them to the brink of meltdown. If this lack of organisation continues, it is very possible that the next earthquake or landslide will cause the collapse of the tailings and, subsequently, the breadbaskets that Asia unknowingly relies on.
Bibliography
https://dialogue.earth/ru/589/69548/
https://www.pureearth.org/project/mailuu-suu-legacy-uranium-dumps/#:~:text=There are twenty three tailing,Soviet Union's first atomic bomb.