Southern Kazakhstan Research Articles

Macropsidius bogutensis (Mityaev, 1990) species group (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Eurymelinae: Macropsini) in Kazakhstan: taxonomy, biology, and evolution.

Illustrated descriptions of species from the Macropsidius bogutensis group from Southern Kazakhstan with data on biology, male calling signals, and distribution are provided. M. karatavicus sp. n. from Syrdaryinskiy Karatau Range is described and the synonymy M. bogutensis Mityaev, 1990 = M. zhuravlevi Mityaev, 2014, syn n. is established. Conclusions concerning the evolution of M. bogutensis species group are presented.

Ecological and economic assessment of the ecological situation transformation in the Republic of Kazakhstan regions in 1990–2020

The article is devoted to problems of stating the complex index of anthropogenic impact (IAI) formation estimating the ecological stress level in regions of Kazakhstan. A system of indicators of anthropogenic stress for ecological monitoring is justified as different methods of normalization and aggregation of indices. Results of various estimations are provided. Factors of transformation of territorial structure of pollution are revealed. IAI shows that in the post-Soviet period, inherited ecological problems and new sources of impact determined the anthropogenic impact spatial shift at the regional level from the North and East to the South and West. Industry is losing its status as the main source of anthropogenic impact (AI), so densely populated areas and the increase in associated impact indicators have caught up with industry. The population outflow in Northern Kazakhstan has a positive effect on the AI level and increases AI in Southern Kazakhstan. The entire variety of scenarios for the dynamics of the impact of material production on the environment can be reduced to four types: ecological degradation, when an economic downturn is accompanied by increased environmental pollution; depressive development, when an economic downturn is accompanied by decreased pollution; extensive ecological development, where economic growth is accompanied by increased pollution; balanced development, when economic growth is accompanied by decreased pollution. During crisis years, there was a decrease in industrial pollution, the volume of atmospheric emissions and polluted wastewater, and, to a lesser extent, water consumption; conversely, vehicle emissions, the volume of toxic waste, the area of disturbed lands, and forest fires do not depend on the change in GRP. Despite the fact that for the country as a whole, the dependence of the level of pollution on the level and dynamics of economic development is weakening, with each new crisis, there is an increasing number of regions where the environmental state continues to deteriorate despite the economic downturn.

Анализ рисков распространения катаральной лихорадки овец в Казахстане

Kazakhstan is considered to be free from bluetongue. At the same time, biting midges of the genus Culicoides, which are the main vectors of the bluetongue virus, are widespread in the country. An optimal climate for biting midge breeding, a high density of livestock susceptible to the virus, and a constant influx of imported breeding stock from areas where the infection is endemic in southern Kazakhstan cumulatively constitute favorable conditions for the spread of bluetongue in the case of virus transmission in Kazakhstan from other countries. The uncontrolled spread of this infection on the territory of Kazakhstan can be associated with colossal economic losses since sheep breeding is paramount for domestic animal husbandry. In this case, economic costs will not be limited only by the death of animals; significant damage can be caused to the image of our country as an exporter of lamb. This review provides information highlighting the importance of bluetongue control programs in Kazakhstan and an analysis of the risks of the spread of this infection in the country.

Western flanks of the Central Asian late paleozoic continental rift system and uranium mineralization

Introduction. Available information on the occurrences of high alkaline magmatic rocks fixing the position of the western flanks of the southern branches (Gobi Altai and Gobi Tien-Shan) of the Central Asian Late Paleozoic continental rift system in the territory of the North-West of Chingiz (the eastern part of Central Kazakhstan), the Kendyktas-Chu-Ili-Bet-Pak-Dal uranium-bearing province of the Southern Kazakhstan and the Chatkal-Naryn zone of Tien-Shan (Uzbekistan) is reviewed. Data on the confinement of uranium mineralization to these occurrences and its paragenetic relationship with the Late Paleozoic alkaline volcanic-plutonic association is provided.Aim. To study the uranium mineralization of Late Paleozoic alkaline magmatism to clarify metallogenic representations and justify prospects for the ore-bearingness of the western flanks of the southern branches of the Central Asian continental rift system.Materials and methods. The largest part of materials was obtained in the process of geological surveys and prospecting works of various scales in the regions of Central Kazakhstan in the period 1965–1985 with the participation of the author. Published materials concerning the subdivision of magmatic formations in the uranium ore fields of Southern Kazakhstan and the Chatkal-Naryn zone were also used.Results. Subvolcanic bodies of comendites and small masses of alkaline granites of the Late Paleozoic were identified across the area of uranium ore occurrences in the South-Western Chingiz and some deposits of South Kazakhstan confined to Devonian volcanic structures, which indicates their relationship with the southern branches of the Central Asian continental rift system. Rare-metalalbite, uranium-phosphorus and uranium-molybdenum formations are confined to alkaline rocks. Rare-metal mineralization is closely associated with alkaline rocks, while uranium mineralization occurred after the introduction of the most recent microgabbrodiorite and lamprophyre dikes. Similar correlations of rare-metal and uranium mineralization with alkaline granites and of microgabbrodiorite and lamprophyre dikes are observed in the uranium deposits of the Chatkal-Naryn zone located among the early Permian bimodal trachybasalt-trachyolite formation.Conclusion. The establishment of ore mineralization on the western flanks of the Gobi Altai and Gobi Tien-Shan branches in the territory of Southern and Central Kazakhstan allows these areas to be distinguished as metallogenic zones, promising in terms of rare-metal and uranium mineralization.

A new species of silverfish of the subfamily Ctenolepismatinae (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) from southern Kazakhstan

Ctenolepisma (Ctenolepisma) turkestanicum sp. nov. is described from southern Kazakhstan. It is the first species of the genus Ctenolepisma Escherich, 1905 with 2 + 2 bristle combs on urotergite II, whereas all described species of Ctenolepisma have 3 + 3 bristle combs on this urotergite. The new species is most close to C. przewalskyi Kaplin, 1982 described from Kyrgyzstan. In addition to chaetotaxy of urotergite II, the new species differs from C. przewalskyi in the distribution of hypodermal pigment and the number of bristle combs on the thoracic sternites.

CURRENT STATE AND DEVELOPMENT OF OIL PIPELINE TRANSPORT OF OIL AND GAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

Based on the analysis of the current state, it was revealed that Kazakhstan has significant reserves of fuel and energy resources: proven oil reserves exceed 4 billion tons. Due to the fact that Kazakhstan's own consumption of energy resources is less than their production, the remaining amount is sold on world markets. This article describes that the most preferred mode of transport of energy resources are pipelines, which have the following indisputable advantages: they can be laid in any direction and at any distance, regardless of the landscape; their operation practically does not depend on external conditions (weather conditions, time of year and day); they are more reliable than other types of energy transport and are automated to the greatest extent; cargo delivery is carried out almost all year round, without idle mileage, characteristic of tanks and ships when using other types of transport. In addition, it was recommended that the use of pipelines makes it possible to free up rail and water transport for the transportation of other goods. It was also proposed to expand the routes of transport systems connecting the Caspian oil and gas region with the regions of southern, central and eastern Kazakhstan, which will improve their security in the consumption of hydrocarbon resources. Partial or complete rejection of natural gas imports due to its supplies from the fields of Western Kazakhstan will ensure not only a reduction in foreign exchange costs for its purchase from Uzbekistan, but also reduce dependence on fluctuations in its prices due to changing market conditions and seasonality of supplies. This circumstance justifies the need to redistribute gas resources in the direction of solving the issues of providing the southern region of Kazakhstan with sufficient volumes of this type of resources.

Identification of wheat samples for resistance to toxins of Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr)

Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr) is a causal agent of tan spot in wheat in Kazakhstan, as it has been around the world. The pathogen produces host-specific toxins which interact with the wheat host sensitivity loci. The aim of this study was 1) to identify whether selected Kazakhstani isolates of P. tritici- repentis possessed the Ptr toxin genes ToxA and/or ToxB and 2) to identify the wheat varieties resistant to HST ToxA and ToxB. As a result of the analysis of the frequency of occurrence of PTR races, it was found that races 7 (25%) and 8 (41.6%) dominate in isolates from southern Kazakhstan, and race 4 (62.5%) prevails in northern Kazakhstan. Twenty single spore isolates collected from wheat-growing areas of the South and North of Kazakhstan representing the P. tritici-repentis population were characterized for the presence of the Ptr ToxA and Ptr ToxB genes, using two gene specific primers. Eight (40%) Kazakhstani P. tritici-repentis isolates were positive for the ToxA gene, and two isolates (10%) were positive for the ToxB gene. ToxB gene was not previously found in our country, but the results of this study show the appearance of this toxin in south Kazakhstan. Eleven (64.7%) wheat varieties resistant to HST ToxA were identified using molecular markers linked to the tsn1 gene, insensitive to Ptr ToxA. The identified genotypes are recommended for use in breeding for wheat resistance to tan spot.

Study of Component Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Ophthalmic Emulsion Based on the Safflower Flowers (Carthamus tinctorius L.).

The use of medicinal plants has increased significantly in recent years. More than 80% of the world's population uses medicinal plants to treat themselves. Many antibacterial and anti-inflammatory synthetic drugs are available in medical practice. However, recent tendency of increasing capability of resistance of bacteria to usage of antibacterial drugs of different groups is taking place. Considering the wide range of pharmacological and antimicrobial activity of safflower flower extracts and available vitamins in their composition, it was decided to create a preparation based on the CO2 extract of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) in the form of an ophthalmic emulsion. The aim of this research is to study the composition and antimicrobial activity of the extract and ophthalmic emulsion drops against test strains of microorganisms. The subject of this study is the ophthalmic emulsions from flowers of Kazakhstan species of “Akmai” safflower, collected in the flowering stage in southern Kazakhstan in August 2021. The component composition was determined using gas chromatography with the Agilent 7890A/5975C mass spectrometry technique. A study of the antimicrobial activity of the ophthalmic emulsion drop extracts was performed with two strains of Gram-positive bacteria, one strain of Gram-negative bacteria, and one culture of fungi. The following biologically active substances were determined from the GC-MS results: tridecane 94%, tricosane 93%, hexacosane 93%, dodecanoic acid 92%, pentacosane 91%, and linoleic acid 63.7%. The investigated emulsion-type eye drop shows bactericidal activity against S. aureus ATCC 6538-P, where the zone of growth suppression under the ophthalmic emulsion action corresponded to 9.0 ± 0.0 mm. The tested ophthalmic emulsion drops show the presumed biological activity against conditionally pathogenic bacteria. The results of chromatographic analysis and antimicrobial activity of the tested samples indicate the prospects for their further study for use as anti-infectious (anti-inflammatory) agents in medicine.

Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activity of the Ethanolic Extract from the Aerial Part of Crocus alatavicus Regel & Semen Growing Wildly in Southern Kazakhstan.

The composition of the ethanolic extract from the aerial parts of Crocus alatavicus Regel & Semen from southern Kazakhstan spontaneous flora was analyzed together with the determination of its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anticancer activity. The phytochemical profile analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS) revealed the presence of multiple kaempferol derivatives. High-performance reverse-phase liquid chromatography combined with a photodiode-array detection (RP-HPLC/PDA) found that kaempferol 3-O-dihexoside and kaempferol 3-O-acyltetrahexoside accounted for 70.5% of the kaempferol derivatives. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the extract for all the tested reference microorganisms were high, reaching 10 mg/mL for yeasts and 20 mg/mL for bacteria. In contrast, antiviral activity was observed at 2 mg/mL, resulting in the inhibition of the HSV-1-induced cytopathic effect and the reduction in virus infectious titer by 1.96 log, as well as the viral load by 0.85 log. Among the tested prostate cancer cell lines, significant cytotoxic activity of the extract was noted only on the LNCaP cell line, with an IC50 value of 1.95 mg/mL. The LNCaP cell line treated with 2 mg/mL of the extract showed a noticeably reduced number of spindle-shaped cells with longer cellular projections, a significant increase in the peak corresponding to the population of apoptotic cells in the sub-G1 phase and a decreased intracellular glutathione (GSH) level, suggesting the prooxidative properties of the extract. The obtained data provide novel information about the flavonoids present in the aerial part of C. alatavicus and suggest its potential application as a source of the compounds active against HSV-1 and metastatic, androgen-sensitive prostate cancer.

Spatial and In-Depth Distribution of Soil Salinity and Heavy Metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cu) in Arable Irrigated Soils in Southern Kazakhstan

Most irrigated lands in the Republic of Kazakhstan are in its southern part, in the large deltas and ancient alluvial plains in the basins of the rivers Syr Darya and Ili. The combination of climatic features and anthropogenic pressures leads to increased salinity and contamination of cultivated soils in this region, resulting in a qualitative and quantitative decline in crop production. The study’s primary goal was to assess soil secondary salinity and selected heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni and Cu) contamination in irrigated arable soils. To identify the potential source of soil pollution, we compared the concentration of salt and heavy metals (both total and mobile forms) in different soil types in three depths of soil profiles obtained from irrigated cultivated and non-cultivated (abounded) territory in the Shauldara massif in the southern part of Kazakhstan. All studied soils are prone to secondary salinization with either a medium or high content of sum of salts with domination by Na+ among cations and by SO42− among anions. The soil contamination with heavy metals was low, and, in most cases, except for cadmium, it was below the limits developed for arable soils in most countries. Soil contamination with cadmium results from contamination of the water used for irrigation of farmland.

Urbanism Under Turco-Mongol Rule: Excavations at Otrar, Kazakhstan

The city of Otrar in southern Kazakhstan (42°51'8.64"N/ 68°18'9.26"E; (Figure 1) was occupied from around the 4th-5th century AD and abandoned in the 18th century (Akishev, Baipakov, and Erzakovich 1972:81, 1981, 1987; Baipakov 1990). Exploiting the waters of the nearby Syr Darya river to create a fertile hinterland which supported the urban population (Clarke, Sala, and Meseth 2005; Toonen et al. 2020), written sources indicate it was the location of major historical events from the Mongol Conquest to the death of Timur (Bregel 2003:36, 42; Juvaini (trans. J. Boyle) 1997:82–85; Rashid al-Din (trans a. W.M. Thackston) 2012:170–71; f488-90; Zimin’ 1914). Today, the site consists of a raised mound or shahristan known as Otrartobe, an 18m tall mound of decayed mudbrick architecture and occupation deposits within a larger urban zone covering around 170 hectares (Akishev et al. 1972:43–50; Fodde, Sala, and Deom 2013). The site has been extensively excavated (Akishev et al. 1972, 1981, 1987; Akylbek 2013; Baipakov 2013; Baipakov and Erzakovich 1991; Campbell 2020, 2021) with ample information about various neighbourhoods, and broad chronological understanding of the character of occupation. Abandonment deposits have been found and equated to the Mongol Conquest but the stratification of the coin hoard used to date this phase was somewhat unclear (Akishev et al. 1987:18) and so the precise chronology of occupation at Otrar and the extent to which it was continuously inhabited remains obscure. The work described here presents an initial attempt to further investigate the complex sequence of occupation at the site between the 12th and 14th centuries.

Prevalence of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus among Livestock and Ticks in Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan, 2017.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a highly fatal zoonotic disease endemic to Kazakhstan. Previous work estimated the seroprevalence of CCHF virus (CCHFV) among livestock owners in the Zhambyl region of southern Kazakhstan at 1.2%. To estimate CCHFV seroprevalence among cattle and sheep, we selected 15 villages with known history of CCHFV circulation (endemic) and 15 villages without known circulation (nonendemic) by cluster sampling with probability proportional to livestock population size. We collected whole blood samples from 521 sheep and 454 cattle from randomly selected households within each village and collected ticks found on the animals. We tested livestock blood for CCHFV-specific IgG antibodies by ELISA; ticks were screened for CCHFV RNA by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and CCHFV antigen by antigen-capture ELISA. We administered questionnaires covering animal demographics and livestock herd characteristics to an adult in each selected household. Overall weighted seroprevalence was 5.7% (95% CI: 3.1, 10.3) among sheep and 22.5% (95% CI: 15.8, 31.2) among cattle. CCHFV-positive tick pools were found on two sheep (2.4%, 95% CI: 0.6, 9.5) and three cattle (3.8%, 95% CI: 1.2, 11.5); three CCHFV-positive tick pools were found in nonendemic villages. Endemic villages reported higher seroprevalence among sheep (15.5% versus 2.8%, P < 0.001) but not cattle (25.9% versus 20.1%, P = 0.42). Findings suggest that the current village classification scheme may not reflect the geographic distribution of CCHFV in Zhambyl and underscore that public health measures must address the risk of CCHF even in areas without a known history of circulation.

Dragonflies (Odonata) of the Syrdarya Karatau and the Arys River valley (southern Kazakhstan) with notes on seasonal latitudinal and altitudinal migrations

Dragonflies (Odonata) of the Syrdarya Karatau and the Arys River valley (southern Kazakhstan) with notes on seasonal latitudinal and altitudinal migrations

Effect of genetic properties of Khiagda uranium deposits on the choice of in-situ leaching technologies

Hydrogenous uranium deposits of Khiagda ore field have no equal among commercial uranium reserves recovered by the in-situ leaching (ISL) technology. Khiagda JSC carries out ISL of uranium from four uranium deposits in Khiagda field, namely, Khiagda, Vershinnoe, Istochnoe and Kolichkan. As compared to ore occurrences in alluvium in large paleovalleys and in syneclise-type and grabensyncline type artesian basins in Uzbekistan, Southern Kazakhstan, South Australia and in the TransUrals, Khiagda ore field differs by the fact that uranium sources in the catchment area locate at a distance of a few tens of kilometers from the uranium concentration zones in the reducing geochemical barriers. At the Vitim deposits, the zones of uranium removal from the Vitimkan Complex granite by surface water and groundwater and the zones of uranium concentration under the action of syngenetic and epigenetic reducers in the alluvium&ndash;proluvium deposits in paleovallyes are very closely spaced at tens and hundreds of meters to a few kilometers. Some other differences include the mostly phosphate rather than oxide and silica composition of uranium minerals and the near-modern age of ore&mdash;1.5&ndash;12.5 million years. The breakthrough mining technologies are proposed, such as: nonregular accessing of ore bodies with the nonuniform distribution of uranium; use of sodium nitrite as a uranium oxidizer; groundwater resources management in mining of weakly watered deposits; direct determination of uranium content of ore using the method of neutron&ndash;neutron logging. These technologies enhance efficiency of ISL. The further research aimed to improve the process designs is proposed to be focused on optimization of ISL borehole patterns as well as on improvement of groundwater resources management in mining weakly watered deposits.

Development of Sustainable Production of Rainfed Winter Wheat with No-Till Technologies in Southern Kazakhstan

The production of rainfed crops in arid regions is an extremely difficult task, especially without tillage. In southern Kazakhstan, in 2020–2021, the approbation of various nutrition regimes for winter wheat grown in conditions of no-tillage rainfed lands has been studied. The effect of different doses and terms of application of growth stimulators, micronutrients, bio-fertilizers and mineral fertilizers, as well as their economic efficiency, was studied in ten variables. The use of a combination of growth stimulators and microfertilizers produced the highest grain yield and was the most cost-effective. The greatest value of the nominal net profit of 223.25 euro and 244.10 euro from one hectare was provided and calculated with the recommended target grain yield of 2.0 t/ha dose of mineral fertilizers, respectively; however, the production cost of one ton of grain in these treatments was also highest. Further research is continuing with a wider range and combination of amendments and various crops in a rainfed no-till winter wheat farm in southern Kazakhstan.

Ортағасырлардағы түркілердің соғдылықтармен мәдени-экономикалық байланысы (VI-VIII ғғ.)

The Great Silk Road is one of the most significant achievements in the history of world civilization. An extensive system of caravan routes crossed Europe and Asia from the Mediterranean to China and in Ancient times and in the middle Ages, served as an important means of trade and communication between Western and Eastern cultures. The longest route passed through Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Since the appearance of the Great Silk Road trade caravans passing through the modern land of the Kazakh people have had a great impact on the development of urban culture. One of the points of view is that these cities arose based on caravanserais, while another point of view is based on the fact that they arose from the settlements of peoples who migrated from Central Asia during the existence of the Turkic States and established their own settlements. Historically, the road received the name “Silk Road” in connection with the silk trade, and later the word “Great” was added to this name because the road connected the vast Eastern and Western regions. Thus, this article attempts to answer the question of which mixed cultures arose as a result of the emergence of the largest urban cultures in the trading system, which went down in history as the “Great Silk Road”. Recently, historians have paid more attention to the modern history of Kazakhstan, while some issues of the medieval, in particular, the early medieval history of the Kazakh people have remained poorly studied. To fill this gap, the authors of the article focus on the analysis of the history of large cities of the early Middle Ages in Semirechye and Southern Kazakhstan, the main trade and economic centers and direct relations of Sogdian peoples with the Turks. The article provides a lot of information for students and doctoral students studying the medieval period.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of the A/H5N8 subtype, clade 2.3.4.4b, caused outbreaks in Kazakhstan in 2020.

BackgroundLarge poultry die-offs happened in Kazakhstan during autumn of 2020. The birds’ disease appeared to be avian influenza. Northern Kazakhstan was hit first and then the disease propagated across the country affecting eleven provinces. This study reports the results of full-genome sequencing of viruses collected during the outbreaks and investigation of their relationship to avian influenza virus isolates in the contemporary circulation in Eurasia.MethodsSamples were collected from diseased birds during the 2020 outbreaks in Kazakhstan. Initial virus detection and subtyping was done using RT-PCR. Ten samples collected during expeditions to Northern and Southern Kazakhstan were used for full-genome sequencing of avian influenza viruses. Phylogenetic analysis was used to compare viruses from Kazakhstan to viral isolates from other world regions.ResultsPhylogenetic trees for hemagglutinin and neuraminidase show that viruses from Kazakhstan belong to the A/H5N8 subtype and to the hemagglutinin H5 clade 2.3.4.4b. Deduced hemagglutinin amino acid sequences in all Kazakhstan’s viruses in this study contain the polybasic cleavage site (KRRKR-G) indicative of the highly pathogenic phenotype. Building phylogenetic trees with the Bayesian phylogenetics results in higher statistical support for clusters than using distance methods. The Kazakhstan’s viruses cluster with isolates from Southern Russia, the Russian Caucasus, the Ural region, and southwestern Siberia. Other closely related prototypes are from Eastern Europe. The Central Asia Migratory Flyway passes over Kazakhstan and birds have intermediate stops in Northern Kazakhstan. It is postulated that the A/H5N8 subtype was introduced with migrating birds.ConclusionThe findings confirm the introduction of the highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the A/Goose/Guangdong/96 (Gs/GD) H5 lineage in Kazakhstan. This virus poses a tangible threat to public health. Considering the results of this study, it looks justifiable to undertake measures in preparation, such as install sentinel surveillance for human cases of avian influenza in the largest pulmonary units, develop a human A/H5N8 vaccine and human diagnostics capable of HPAI discrimination.

Results of genotyping of the Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever virus circulating in Southern Kazakhstan

Results of genotyping of the Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever virus circulating in Southern Kazakhstan

Reconstruction of alpine snowfall in southern Kazakhstan based on oxygen isotopes in tree rings

Reconstruction of alpine snowfall in southern Kazakhstan based on oxygen isotopes in tree rings

Uranium isotopes in food and effect on health of Southern Kazakhstan citizens

ABSTRACT Natural uranium isotopes were determined in food products of the Kyzylorda region in Kazakhstan. This region is characterised by the influence of the uranium industry, as up to 15% of the world uranium reserves are concentrated in this part of Kazakhstan and the adjacent territory of Kyrgyzstan. The food products most consumed by locals were selected for this survey. Special attention was paid to the analysis of edible and non-edible parts of food products and the assessment of a possible increase in risk due to consumption of non-edible parts. The highest content of uranium, of 80.2 µg/kg, was found in the edible part of the carrot. The highest activity concentrations of uranium isotopes are found in carrot, potato and onion, as edible parts of these vegetables are grown in the soil. All estimated cancer risks for uranium isotopes range from 10−14 to 10−12, which are insignificant values.