OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of soil pollution factors such as heavy metal ions with the incidence of cancer in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan.
METHODS: Concentrations of heavy metal ions in the soils of different sites of Kyzylorda region, Kazakhstan, were sampled and correlated with incidence of cancer in 2021.
RESULTS: Chromium content in the soil exceeded maximum permissible concentration (MPC) in the samples for all sites except Kazaly and Shieli, and the highest excess of 2.8 MPC was found in Terenozek. Content of copper, lead, and cobalt ions was also increased and varied in the range 1.9-15.4, 1.2-4, and 1.2-2.44 MPC, respectively. In addition, lung cancer incidence was statistically significantly correlated with soil concentration to MPC ratio of copper, cobalt, and lead; colorectal cancer was correlated with soil concentration of chromium. Cases of invasive cancer and mutations were recorded Terenozek and Kyzylorda areas.
CONCLUSIONS: The higher the soil concentration correlate with higher cancer incidence in Kyzylorda region, Kazakhstan.

Along with pharmacological applications due to bioactive elements such as flavonoids and glycyrrhizin, licorice has positive influences on the rehabilitation, rejuvenation, and management of salt-affected degraded lands in arid regions. These features made this plant widely appreciated worldwide when climate change is showing detrimental impacts for crop production and food security. However, a growing demand followed by irrational harvesting of wild licorice plants has led to substantial dwindling of its natural habitat. There is an increasing need to protect the plant biodiversity since sustainability can be a problem with wild harvesting. Therefore, it is important to investigate cultivation technologies of licorice under harsh environments, while this plant can adapt to a wide range of climates. Thus, in this review, we studied, analyzed and summarized the literature on licorice cultivation methods counteracting the most common environmental stresses in the Aral Sea region. Particularly, the current knowledge was rationalized regarding on cultivation technologies for alleviating salt stress thereby improving crop production. We also highlighted that future research directions on licorice breeding and genomics that might facilitate to produce more resilient and sustainable licorice genotypes to renovate agricultural productivity under disastrous ecology and climate change of the arid regions. Whereas this area possesses all prerequisite conditions needed for successful cultivation of the alternative cash crop.

The improper land utilization has brought tremendous pressure on the surface water of the Aral Sea Region in the past decades. It was seriously hindered for construction of the Green Silk Road Economic Belt by the fragile environment. Therefore, it is of great necessity for environmental protection and social development to monitor the change of surface water in the Aral Sea Region.
In this study, LandTrendr algorithm was used on Landsat time-series data to characterize the change in farmland on the Google Earth Engine platform. Based on multi-source data, the water area changes of the Aral Sea were extracted based on the Google Earth Engine, and the mean method was utilized to extract the changes in water level and water storage. Finally, a water-farmland coupling degree model was utilized to evaluate the impact of farmland changes on the surface water in the Aral Sea Region.
As a result, the change of farmland is as follows: the farmland area of the Aral Sea Region has abandoned 3,129 km2 from 1987 to 2019, with overall accuracy of 85.3%. The farmland change had increased the drainage downstream of the Amu Darya River and the Syr Darya River. It has led area of the Aral Sea to decrease each year continuously. The area of the Aral Sea shrank by 1,606.36 km2 per year from 1987 to 2019. Furthermore, Aral Sea\'s water level decreased by 0.13 m per year from 2003 to 2009. The amount of water storage in the Aral Sea Region also showed a downward trend from 2002 to 2016. There was a high-quality coupling coordination 0.903 relationship between surface water and farmland. It will increase the burden of water for people\'s normal daily life by the water loss resources caused by abandoned farmland. This study emphasized threat of unreasonable farmland management to surface water of the Aral Sea Region. The findings contributed for decision makers to formulating effective reasonable policies to protect surface water and use land of the Aral Sea Region. Meanwhile, the application of coupling degree model can provide a new method for studying the connection of independent systems in the farmland, water, environment and more.

OBJECTIVE: To study the trend in the incidence and nosological structure of congenital malformations (CMFs) in the fetuses and babies of the Kyzylorda Region (Aral Sea Region) of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the period 2016-2018.
METHODS: Over 2016-2018, the investigators analyzed 550 childbirth histories, the protocol (records) of autopsy in fetuses and babies who had died at the maternity hospitals and children\'s hospitals of the Kyzylorda Region (Aral Sea Region, Kazakhstan).
RESULTS: Throughout the follow-up period, the structure of CMFs in the Kyzylorda Region, the Republic of Kazakhstan, was found to have 3 major systemic defects: multiple defects; cardiovascular defects, and central nervous system defects, which can be considered as an indicator for environmental problems in the region. There was a preponderance of hydrocephalus and anencephaly among the CMF of the central nervous system and that of interventricular and interatrial septal defects and combined defects among the cardiovascular CMFs. In the considered period of time, malformations of the urinary system, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs were often observed as part of multiple malformations. In the considered period of time, defects of the urinary system, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs were often observed as part of multiple malformations. The postmortem findings indicated that the conformity of clinical and postmortem CMF diagnoses in the Kyzylorda Region were more than 77%.
Цель исследования - изучить динамику частоты и нозологической структуры врожденных пороков развития (ВПР) плодов и детей в период 2016-2018 гг. в Кызылординской области (Приаралье) Республики Казахстан. Материал и методы. За 2016-2018 гг. проведен анализ 550 историй родов, протокола (карты) патолого-анатомического вскрытия плодов и детей, умерших в родильных домах и детских стационарах Кызылординской области (Приаралье, Казахстан). Результаты. За весь период наблюдения в структуре ВПР в Кызылординской области Республики Казахстан выявили три основных системных порока: множественные, сердца и сосудов, центральной нервной системы, которые можно рассматривать как индикаторный показатель экологического неблагополучия в регионе. Среди ВПР центральной нервной системы преобладала гидроцефалия и анэнцефалия; среди пороков сердца и сосудов - дефекты межжелудочковой и межпредсердной перегородки, комбинированные пороки. В рассматриваемый период времени часто в составе множественных пороков развития наблюдали пороки мочевыделительной системы, желудочно-кишечного тракта и легких. Совпадение клинического и патолого-анатомического диагнозов при ВПР в Кызылординской области по данным патолого-анатомического бюро составило более 77%.

To assess the impact of climatic and anthropogenic factors of the Aral Sea region on reproductive health, we examined 300 women living in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan, which borders the Aral Sea region. The survey was based on comprehensive clinical-functional and laboratory studies accounting on regional environmental and ecological factors. The survey subject was the area of 2 settlements in Kyzylorda region. In both areas, it was revealed that the examined women of the age group 30-39 years old had increased values of oxidative stress indices comparison with Atasu village of Karaganda region.

Objective: A study of primary cancer morbidity among children and subsequent calculation of average annual incidence were carried out for boys and girls, and young men and women in Kazakhstan. Methods: The investigated population lived in three areas of the Aral Sea region: designated catastrophe (Aral, Kazalt, Shalkar regions), crisis (Zhalagash, Karmakshy, Shiely regions), pre-crisis (Irgiz, Arys, Ulytau regions). Zhanaarka region of Karaganda oblast was applied as a control. Parameters were retrospective analyzed for the 10 years from 2004 to 2013. Result: The results indicate that indices of children cancer morbidity were slightly higher in the Aral Sea region than in the control district, but they were comparable with similar data from studies in other regions. In all areas of the Aral Sea region, except for Ulytau, primary cancer morbidity exceeded the control level by 1.3-2.7 times (4.7%000). Hematological malignancies, including solid tumors - tumors of musculoskeletal system and skin, digestive system, brain and central nervous system predominated. Stress levels in zones of the Aral Sea region were slightly higher in the crisis zone than in the catastrophe zone that can be explained by the phenomenon of wave-like dynamics of disease growth risk. Gender differences in characteristics of malignancy formation were not more pronounced in the studied region. Conclusion: Indices of children cancer are slightly higher in the Aral Sea region than in the control area of Kazakhstan, but they are comparable to results for other regions.

In order to assess women\'s reproductive health in the Kyzylorda region (the Aral Sea) of Kazakhstan, 1406 women were involved in an integrated clinical-functional and laboratory examination, given regional and environmental ecological factors. The high level of endocrine gynecological pathology is indicated in the examined women. In both examined zones, there is a late menarche over 16 years old, which is 39%. It is indicated a trend towards younger age of menopause onset. Inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs affect a third of the examined women. In the zone of ecological disaster, every fourth woman has fetal losses, cases of spontaneous pregnancy termination and/or non-developing pregnancies in anamnesis, which can be repeated many times.