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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Unchecked development, deforestation and rapid industrialisation is not only only increasing greenhouse gases, but is also making life unbearable for many around the globe.
Let's take a look at some of the most polluted places in the world.
Source: Blacksmith Institute
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Agbogbloshie
Country: Ghana
Major pollutant: Lead
Population affected: 40,000
Overall rank in pollution: 1
Agbogbloshie, a suburb of capital Accra, is one of the world's biggest dumping grounds for electronic waste. Thousands of workers, including children, everyday search with their bare hands the toxic waste for metals, which they then burn and dismantle to sell for about $6.
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Chernobyl
Country: Ukraine
Major pollutant: Radioactive dust, including uranium, plutonium, cesium-137, strontium-90, and other metals
Population affected: 10 million
Overall rank in pollution: 2
Chernobyl, which saw the biggest nuclear power plant disaster in the world in 1986, is still struggling with its effect 27 years after the incident.
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Citarum River
Country: Indonesia
Major pollutant: Numerous chemicals, including lead, cadmium, chromium and pesticides
Population affected: 500,000 people directly, up to 5 million people indirectly
Overall rank in pollution: 3
Citarum River, which provides 80 per cent of surface water to capital Jakarta, has one of the highest concentrations of pollutants in the world.
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Dzerzhinsk
Country: Russia
Major pollutant: Numerous chemicals and toxic byproducts from numerous chemical-manufacturing processes
Population affected: 300,000
Overall rank in pollution: 4
Dzerzhinsk, which is one of the biggest chemicals production centres in Russia, is struggling under immense increase in pollution.
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Hazaribagh
Country: Bangladesh
Major pollutant: Mainly chromium
Population affected: 160,000
Overall rank in pollution: 5
Hazaribagh, which is located in old part of capital Dhaka, has the country's largest leather processing zone.
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Kabwe
Country: Zambia
Major pollutant: Lead
Population affected: 300,000
Overall rank in pollution: 6
Kabwe, which was formerly known as Broken Hill, earns the dubious distinction of being one of the most polluted places in the world thanks to the mines that dot the region.
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Kalimantan
Country: Indonesia
Major pollutant: Primarily mercury, cadmium
Population affected: 225,000
Overall rank in pollution: 7
Kalimantan, a region in Indonesia that is divided into five provinces, has seen mercury rise to record level due to gold mining.
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Matanza-Riachuelo
Country: Argentina
Major pollutant: Volatile organic compounds, including toluene
Population affected: 20,000
Overall rank in pollution: 8
Matanza-Riachuelo, a river basin that is more than 60km long, is a hub of small-scale industries, including chemical manufacturers, that are killing the basin with industrial effluents.
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Niger River Delta
Country: Nigeria
Major pollutant: Petroleum
Population affected: There is currently disagreement among experts
Overall rank in pollution: 9
Niger River Delta, a region where more than 30 million people live, has the been left heavily polluted by oil companies exploring for black gold in the oil-rich region.
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Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world
Norilsk
Country: Russia
Major pollutant: Copper, nickel oxide, other heavy metals
Population affected: 135,000
Overall rank in pollution: 10
Norilsk, the northernmost city in the world, has been polluted so much by mineral mining that the surface soil now has high concentrations of platinum and palladium.